Master of the Basics
by shadowsrisen
Summary: Overpowered jutsus are overrated! Watch as Naruto uses only low rank jutsus (C rank or lower) and his wits to defeat his opponents. Smart Naruto Naruto x Small Harem Naruto x femHaku x Tenten x Fu x Samui Part 1 of 2 and will cover Pre-Timeskip.
1. Chapter 1

A.N.

Hello everyone! I decided to make a Naruto fanfiction centered on a smart Naruto. He will only learn low rank jutsus and find creative ways to use them. Seriously the **Kawarimi no Jutsu (Body Replacement Technique) **is so useful, I don't know why it is not used more often. Maybe it has to do with not having enough logs around?

The story will follow the canon storyline loosely just so I can match with the timeline. I will try my best not to bash characters so forgive me if it looks like I am. Regarding pairings, honestly I do not know. It will not be a NaruSaku, NaruHina, or NaruIno though because there are so many fanfiction of those pairings. Some characters will be older or younger for example Naruto will be a year older than the rest of rookie 9 or the same age as Team Gai. This is for pairings and other things.

If you noticed any grammar/spelling issues, please inform me so I can reedit the chapter. Well I hope you enjoy the first chapter of Master of the Basics.

"Talking"

'_Thoughts'_

**Jutsu/Bijū**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: The Beginning<strong>

It was a peaceful morning in Konohagakure no Sato with the exception of a little blond boy in an orange jumpsuit running away from a mob of Uchiha. 9 year old Uzumaki Naruto was running away from his pursuers after delivering another awesome prank. He had painted graffiti all over the Uchiha Compound in the early hours of the day. It was payback towards those stuck up pricks. Dashing between gaps of buildings and hiding within the shadows, Naruto was able to shake off his pursuers.

Making a turn towards his apartment, Naruto was stopped by his diabolic instructor from the Academy. "NA-RU-TO!" Umino Iruka snatched up our blond protagonist by his jacket collar.

"Geh, how do you always find me Iruka-sensei?" Naruto tried to struggle out of his captor's grasp.

"We are going to the Hokage and then you can explain what you did." Iruka said as he walked towards the Hokage Tower.

Upon arrival, Iruka greeted the Sandaime, Sarutobi Hiruzen, and dropped Naruto onto the floor. "Can't you be gentle Iruka-sensei, sheesh?" Naruto complained towards his teacher.

Before Iruka can retort, Hiruzen intervened. "Naruto I have reports that people have seen you painting graffiti all over the Uchiha Compound, is that true?"

"Yeah! I think this was my greatest prank yet, old man." Naruto gave a foxy grin only to be bonked on the head by Iruka.

"Show Hokage-sama some respect Naruto" Iruka said as Naruto was seriously getting on his nerves.

The Hokage could only chuckle at the Chūnin and the village pariah. '_If only the rest of the villagers treated Naruto like Iruka does' _"Well Naruto since you are taking credit for it, as punishment you are to clean the ENTIRE compound by the end of today."

Naruto face instantly turned sour. "What do you mean I have to clean it?"

Hiruzen took a drag from his pipe and blew out the smoke. "Think of it as a lesson. A good ninja uses stealth to complete his missions and to return safely."

Naruto pondered this newly acquired advice from the old man. "So basically as long as I don't get caught then I won't have to worry about any punishments." Naruto face showed a huge grin.

Hiruzen shuddered at the smile. "Wait Nar-"

"Thanks for the advice old man; I am going to make this my last punishment." Naruto shouted as he ran out the building towards the Uchiha Compound, leaving a stunned Hokage and Chūnin.

"Iruka please tell me I didn't make him worse than he already is," Hiruzen pleaded while rubbing his temple with his fingers.

"Don't worry Hokage-sama, there is absolutely no way that we can't catch Naruto if he pulls another prank." Iruka tried to reassure the Hokage. _'That being said recently no one has been able to catch him beside me. It is probably nothing to worry about.'_

Little did the two know that today would soon be marked as the beginning of Naruto's 'Reign of Terror' across the village of Konohagakure.

***Later that evening***

Naruto had finally finished scrubbing out all of the paint. He forgot how HUGE this place was actually was. Collapsing on the ground near the entrance, Naruto remembered the faces he saw today. Almost all of them subtly glared at him or whispered things like 'demon boy'. He even saw Sasuke-teme when he was hitting the wooden poles. They got in an argument as soon as they saw each other.

Hearing footsteps coming from behind him, Naruto turned to see a woman carrying a plate of sandwiches and a glass of water. "Good job on cleaning up your prank." The woman bent down while putting the food in front of Naruto.

"Who are you?" Naruto pointed to her, "and what is this?" He then pointed to the food.

"Oh forgive me, I am Uchiha Mikoto and you are-"The woman now identified as Mikoto stopped to let the boy answer.

"Uzumaki Naruto, nice to meet you, dattebayo," He replied back while smiling.

'_Hmm dattebayo, why does that sound familiar?' _Mikoto thought and then an image of a red haired Uzumaki appeared in her head. '_Could he be Kushina's son, but I thought the baby died along with Kushina?' _Mikoto stared at Naruto, unnerving the blond. '_Oh Kami, if you take away those whiskers, then you have a carbon copy of a younger Minato. I need to talk to Hokage-sama about this.' _

"U-Um Mikoto-san, why are you staring at me?" Naruto stuttered under the gaze while also snapping Mikoto from her daze.

"Oh sorry, here have something to eat. I am pretty sure you are hungry by now." Naruto's stomach replied for him so he proceeded to eat the sandwiches.

"Why are you nice to me?" Naruto asked in between bites. Mikoto was disturbed by the sight.

"Naruto-san, please finish eating before you talk." She released a little killing intent to get her point across. Naruto swiftly nodded for the fear of his life.

After five minutes, Naruto finished eating and spoke. "Why are you being so nice to me? Oh and you can call me Naruto by the way. I am not good with all the honorifics and stuff."

"Well I shall call you Naruto-kun then?" Mikoto's question were answered by Naruto's nod. "Well the reason why I am so nice to you is because I saw you working hard cleaning so I thought you needed a reward." Naruto tilted his head in confusion.

"Why should I get a reward when this was my punishment for pranking your place?" Naruto could not wrap his head around the events.

Mikoto smiled at Naruto. "I was just being nice that is all."

Naruto smiled back at Mikoto. "Well thank you Mikoto-san."

Now Naruto got off the ground while Mikoto stood back up at full height. "Now I have to ask Naruto-kun, why did you prank this place?"

Naruto frowned for a second before smiling again. "Well somebody had to teach the Uchiha pricks a lesson." Realizing his mistake, Naruto hastily spoke one more. "I don't mean you are one Mikoto-san." Mikoto chuckled at the little boy's nervousness.

"Well can you promise me that you won't prank this place again?" Mikoto asked polietly.

Naruto shook his head."I can't promise that."

Mikoto frowned at that reply. "Okay, how about a deal then? If you promise not to prank this place then I would help you with being a shinobi."

This confused Naruto. "How come you know I attend the academy?"

Mikoto answered his question. "My sons, Sasuke-kun and Itachi-kun, talk about you." Naruto received the shock of his short life.

"You are the mom of Sasuke-teme! How can the mom be so nice but the son such a jerk?" Naruto paused, before frowning slightly in confusion, "and who the heck is Itachi?" As on cue, an ANBU wearing a weasel mask appeared before the two.

"Itachi-kun/Weasel-nii" shouts from the two at the ANBU. Naruto then ran up to the ANBU and gave him a hug.

In the past, every time Naruto was attacked by a drunk or random person, Weasel or Inu would come to his rescue. Weasel would usually piggyback Naruto back to his apartment. The blond loved to fly across the rooftops on Weasel's back. Naruto felt safe from all dangers.

"Hello Kaa-san and Naruto-kun," Itachi replied to the two.

"Wait so your name is Itachi not Weasel?" the blond asked.

Itachi nodded. "Yes, my name is Itachi. Naruto-kun can you promise me not to tell anyone my name?"

"Sure thing Itachi-nii and I accept your deal Mikoto-san." The Uchihas smiled at the answer.

"Well, how about I meet you at Training Ground 11 after school?" Mikoto asked Naruto. The jinchūriki nodded at Mikoto and was about to head off. "Wait a minute Naruto-kun." Mikoto stopped him from leaving.

She went into her house and after a minute came out with a book. "Now Naruto-kun I want you to read this before we see each other tomorrow." She handed him a book titled 'Shinobi Basics 101'.

"I hate books; I don't want to read it." Naruto stuck his tongue out in disgust.

Mikoto shook her head. "Naruto-kun if you want to be a great shinobi, you need to learn to read books."

Itachi agreed with his mother. "Naruto-kun, books have knowledge in them and the more knowledge one possess, the stronger the ninja is." The blond just sighed and took the book.

"Okay, I'll listen to your advices. Bye Itachi-nii and Mikoto-san." Naruto headed out of the compound and proceeded towards Ichiraku, leaving the two Uchihas.

"Kaa-san may I ask why you wish to train Naruto-kun."

'_It is because of the fact that he is my best friend's and her husband son.' _Obviously she couldn't tell Itachi that was the reason. "I always wanted to help my sons train but your father wouldn't allow me to so I thought it would be nice to train Naruto-kun."

Itachi stared at her impassively and just nodded. "That is fine mother, but I believe you should talk with Hokage-sama about this." He then walked towards their house.

"Well I'll do just that. Tell your father and Sasuke-kun I will be back shortly." She then used **Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique) **to appear outside the Hokage Tower.

After being let in by the secretary, Mikoto appear in the room where Sandaime was doing paperwork. "Oh Mikoto-chan what can I do for you today?" Hiruzen glanced up from his work and gestured Mikoto to sit.

"Hello Hokage-sama, I wish to talk about matter regarding a certain blond headed boy." Mikoto voice projected seriousness as she sat down on the chair.

With a wave, Hiruzen dismissed all the ANBU in the room and activated the privacy seals. "What do you wish to talk that pertains to Naruto." The image of a friendly grandfather was replaced with that of the **Shinobi no Kami (God of Shinobi)**.

"I wish to know why I was not informed that Kushina's and Minato's son was alive." The Uchiha went straight for the matter at hand.

Hiruzen took a puff from his tobacco pipe. "Why do you believe Naruto is the son of Kushina and Minato?" Mikoto then sighed and explained.

"Hokage-sama honestly, I cannot believe anyone including myself had not seen it sooner. If you take away Naruto's whiskers then you have a carbon copy of Minato when he was younger." Mikoto said as she was still in disbelief.

Hiruzen nodded, believing the same. "When people are blinded by hate, they fail to see the most obvious of things." He remarked sadly and wondered if the village will ever regain the Will of Fire. Mikoto was feeling angry not only at the villagers, but angry at herself for not noticing it sooner.

"Does he know about his heritage?" She asked.

"Just like with the Kyūbi, his heritage is an S-Class secret. This is to prevent the likes of Iwa and Kumo coming here to either kill or kidnap him." The Hokage explained. She agreed because that would most likely happen if Iwa and Kumo would come to know of Naruto.

"Hokage-sama, please allow me to adopt him. It is the least I could do for Kushina's boy after not being in his life for nine years." Mikoto knew she would feel Kushina's wrath if she ever sees her again.

"I am afraid I cannot allow that." He answered.

"Why, Hokage-sama?" Mikoto was confused. Why was he refusing her?

"If I were to let one of the clans adopt Naruto, then that clan would have more power over the others due to the fact that Naruto is a jinchūriki. Believe me when I say that you were not the first to approach me to adopt him after finding out his heritage." Hiruzen answered her.

"Who else knows besides us?" Mikoto was shocked that others knew of this secret as well.

Hiruzen took another puff from his pipe. He really was too old for this job. "Including us, it would be Jiraiya, Shikaku, and Shibi. Jiraiya is Naruto's godfather but unfortunately he has a spy network to run so he can't be here. Shikaku found out when he went to pick up his son from the park. He saw Naruto and immediately connected him to Minato. Shibi tricked me after he hypothesized that Naruto was Minato son. In his own words he said 'It would be illogical for the Yondaime to place such a burden on anyone but his son.' The latter two asked to adopt him."

"I see." The mood depressed as Mikoto uttered those words. "Well would it be alright if I taught and trained him to be a shinobi?" She asked hopefully of the Hokage's answer.

The mood was no longer gloomy as Hiruzen chuckled. "I see absolutely no problem with that."

"Thank you Hokage-sama." Her face instantly brightened as she bowed deeply.

"So the** Kawarimi no Megami (Goddess of Body Replacement)** is going to teach someone again." Hiruzen teased the younger women.

Mikoto sighed at that nickname. "Hokage-sama that nickname was from when I was in active duty and Shisui was a prodigy who I only helped a little."

"According to him, you helped in making the **Shunshin no Shisui (Shisui of the Body Flicker)** into a deadly force he was known as. It is a pity that he committed suicide two years ago." Mikoto nodded as she still remembered the compassionate Uchiha who was Itachi's best friend.

"Well I must leave to prepare dinner, please excuse me and have a good day Hokage-sama." Hiruzen dismissed her and she exited the building with a swirl of leaves. Hiruzen sighed as he leaned back in his chair.

"It is a pity that there are not more Uchiha like you Mikoto. I can only hope that your clan does not do something hasty and actually try a coup d'état. Hopefully I can patch things up soon. He turned back to his paperwork as the pile seemingly got bigger since he last saw it. "I really need to look for a successor."


	2. Chapter 2

A.N.

I have decided to change the title of this story to **Master of the Basics**. I also decided to change the plot slightly. I decided that Naruto will only learn C rank Jutsu and below. It fits in my story and it would be interesting to see how Naruto fights against others. So that automatically means no Shadow Clones since it is a B rank Kinjutsu.

Thank you everybody for the favorite and follows! That being said this is my first story where I didn't get a single review. I'm probably being picky since, judging by the favorites and follows; people are interested in this story. Anyway if this chapter is good or bad, I hope you will review because this is the longest chapter that I wrote ever.

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: A Learning Process<strong>

On the way to his apartment, Naruto let out a heavy sigh. Graffiti of all colors graced the wall leading towards his door. Words such as demon and die can commonly be found here. Naruto unlocked the door to his apartment after finished his supper for the day. He only ate 10 bowls due to the fact he ate Mikoto-san's sandwiches beforehand. He locked the door after stepping into his apartment that the old man brought for him when he was 4.

At just 4 years old, he was kicked out from the orphanage and left to wander the streets for food and shelter. His 'food' was overdue food products that were in the trash while his 'shelter' was either the forests or somewhere in the playgrounds. His luck turned for the better when the old man found him near the Sarutobi Estate. The Hokage quickly took him inside for some food and clothing. That day was the happiest day in young Naruto's life. Not only did he get to eat good food and a roof over his head, the old man looked at him differently from the rest of the villagers.

Where the villagers would glare at him with hate and scorn, the Hokage looked at Naruto with sorrow and guilt. Naruto didn't understand but he was just glad that it was different. The Hokage proceeded to rent him a room at an apartment complex in the red light district. As soon as he moved in, all the other occupants moved out. Even the land lord moved away, leaving him all alone.

Even though he did not need to pay rent now, he always wondered why did people avoid him or downright hate him. For as long as he remembered those eyes that look at him, was there since he was born. What crime did he commit that his birth was treated like the plague? Naruto figured his parents that gave birth to him must have done something horrible. Even though they died or abandoned him, the villagers punished him for their actions.

Naruto looked at the state of his desolate apartment room. The refrigerator, although in working condition, was empty. Luckily, the cabinets were filled up to the brim with ramen. The day he discovered the food of the gods was the second happiest day of his life. Not only was it cheap but it tasted amazing. The small brown table that he owned was found in a garbage heap. Cuts of all sizes decorated the table as if it was made that way.

His sofa was something he found in one of the abandoned rooms. At first it was in good condition but now cotton stuffing stewed out from the openings. Apparently one day, someone snuck into his apartment and ruined all of his furniture with a sharp object. Deciding a shower was the best course of action, Naruto placed his orange monstrosity (as his teachers called it) into the washer. After a long shower, Naruto wore a white sleeveless shirt along with black shorts.

As he placed his outfit in the dryer for use tomorrow, he remembered the book that Mikoto-san gave him. Grabbing the book and heading into his room, Naruto laid on his bed. Naruto hated books with a passion. To him, it was all a bunch of big words mixed together to make long sentences. With reluctance Naruto opened the first page of the book. A note fell from the book and landed on his stomach.

Naruto opened the note and read its contents.

_To Naruto-kun_

_If you found this note, then you listened to me and attempted to read the book. Great job on following my orders and you avoided punishment when we meet tomorrow._

Naruto sweat dropped at that sentence. Mikoto-san was so nice to him, there was almost no way she was going to punish him…right? Shaking his thoughts he continued reading the note.

_I know some words will be difficult for you to understand, so I want you to write down those words on some paper and we will discuss them tomorrow. I want you to know that reading this book will help you on the path on to becoming a ninja. If you don't believe me, this was Itachi-kun's first book he read. Without further ado, finish this book before we see each other tomorrow._

_Your future sensei, Uchiha Mikoto_

Naruto couldn't believe this book was once Itachi-nii's. Itachi-nii was once of the strongest shinobis he ever met. Deciding not to waste any time, Naruto dove into the first chapter and began reading silently.

_A shinobi is a trained warrior that uses chakra. He is not a common bandit because he has a home to protect. That home is Konohagakure no Sato. In every Konoha shinobi harbors the Will of Fire. The Will of Fire is a belief that every shinobi loves, believes, cherishes, and fights to protect the village, as previous generations had done before them. This belief is what allows Konoha to survive three Great Shinobi Wars and invasions from other villages. _

Naruto clenched his chest with his hand. Will he also have the Will of Fire when he graduates from the Academy? Can he honestly protect the people that hate him for something his parents did? Maybe everyone deserves a second chance to right their wrongs? After all he made mistakes but Jiji always forgave him after scolding him. The thought cracked a smile on his face as his life might get better. He continued reading the book.

While reading Naruto jotted down words that he was unsure of on the back of Mikoto-san's note. Different topics came up in the book such as stealth, traps, chakra, jutsus, and so much that he was baffled on what he didn't know. Is this what everyone else was learning while he either was kicked out of class or not in class that day? He decided to finish the rest at school to make sure he wasn't late for class the next day. Who knows maybe he won't be kicked out this time Naruto thought as he drifted into slumber.

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><p>Sun rays directed their beams at Naruto's face, causing him to twitch. Blue cerulean eyes slowly opened and looked at his alarm clock. Noticing that he was still early, Naruto took a shower and had a ramen breakfast just like every other day. He grabbed the book from his bed, shoved it into his bag, and headed out of his apartment, but not before locking it up. He didn't want anyone from breaking into his apartment again as he scurried off to the Academy.<p>

When he arrived to the class, he was greeted with an almost empty classroom. It seem only a few people were here early. Not like any of them were his friends anyway. Naruto moved towards the window seat and pulled out the book. He resumed reading where he left off last night. He did not notice the perplexed glances that his classmates gave him as they walk into the classroom. Most shrugged and just went to talk to their friends.

Shikamaru and Chouji arrived in the classroom like always except not everything was the same. Shikamaru instantly noticed the oddity as he spotted the blond haired prankster. He and Chouji made his way towards Naruto and gave a quick greeting. Naruto returned the greeting and then immersed himself into the book again. Taking a seat next to Naruto, with Chouji sitting next to him, Shikamaru looked at the thing that made the hyperactive blond so quiet.

Here was Naruto being quiet and reading a book called 'Shinobi Basics 101' like it was an everyday occurrence. Despite not knowing what caused his friend's sudden change, Shikamaru smirked that Naruto was trying to improve. Shikamaru exchanged glances with Chouji who seemed to smile as well. Naruto always seemed to find a way to keep Shikamaru interested with his actions. Shikamaru decided to take a nap because he was not going to solve Naruto anytime soon.

His plans were thrown out the window when a raging storm of girls were chasing after a certain Uchiha into the classroom. Of course, the two in front of the other girls were Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura. Their constant shouts and bickering made it hard for Shikamaru to take a pre-class nap.

"Can you loud mouth girls shut up? I am going to go deaf in my ears." Inuzuka Kiba complained while covered his sensitive ears. His ninken, Akamaru, barked in agreement. Although the rest of the class did not say anything, they also agreed. Ino and Sakura quickly stood in front of Kiba and pointed to his face. "Shut up mutt, I am not loud." Sakura screeched out, much to the annoyance of everyone.

In the corner of her eye, Sakura spotted Naruto sitting next to Shikamaru and Chouji. "Hey Naruto-baka, what are you doing?"

Naruto instantly turned his attention from the book to Sakura. "Oh hey Sakura-chan, how are you today?" He greeted with a smile.

She replied with a fist to Naruto's noggin. "I told you not to call me that baka!"

This time Ino chimed into the conversation. "Seriously though, Naruto what are you doing?"

Naruto showed the two girls the book. "I am reading this book." Laughter erupted from the class with the exception from Sasuke, Aburame Shino, Shikamaru, Chouji, and Hyuuga Hinata.

"The dead last is reading! I did not know you even knew how to read!" Kiba said in between laughter. "I mean what is reading going to help you with? You will always be the dead last." More laughter was heard after Kiba spoke.

Naruto was furious from his classmate's antics. All he was doing was sitting and quietly reading without bothering anyone. What more can these people want from him? Naruto was about to talk back to Kiba when he was interrupted by a lazy voice.

"You guys should really shut up. I can't sleep with this racket." Shikamaru lifted his head up from his napping position.

"Shikamaru look at Naruto! The dobe is reading." Kiba pointed towards Naruto.

"I have eyes; I can see that he is reading. Everyone that is not blind can see that he is reading. If you look closely at the book he is reading then you would understand." The class looked at the title of the book that Naruto held. Shikamaru continued talking. "Naruto knows that he is currently dead last in the class right now. So what does he do? He is trying to get better so he does not stay there. He is actually taking his shinobi career seriously compared to most of you and Kiba; personally I do not understand why you are laughing at Naruto. You are currently the third to dead last in the class, barely ahead of Naruto."

Kiba fumed at the end of Shikamaru's words. "I don't know why you are talking Shikamaru; you are second to dead last." Kiba smirked at his apparent victory.

"You are right but you don't see me boasting about my position nor do you see me belittling Naruto. I am content with doing minimal effort to pass. You, on the other hand, better watch out before Naruto passes you up." The entire class including Naruto was stunned silent after Shikamaru finished talking. Before anything else can happen, Iruka and Mizuki walked into the classroom.

Iruka's brow rose at the quietness of the classroom but ignored it to begin today's lecture. Everyone went to take their seats and even Ino and Sakura didn't argue who sat next to Sasuke. Iruka began today's lecture on the elemental nations. Naruto regained his composure as soon as Iruka began. He flashed a genuine smile instead of his fake smile. "Thank you Shikamaru for helping me out."

Shikamaru just smirked at the blond. "What are friends for?" The pineapple head then laid his head down and drifting off into his nap. Chouji held out his chip bag towards Naruto, an Akimichi sign of friendship. Naruto took a chip from the bag and nodded a thank you to Chouji. They both smiled and returned their attentions elsewhere. Chouji went back to eating his chips while Naruto just smiled with the thought of his friends while listening to Iruka.

***Later at Training Ground 11***

Naruto rushed to Training Ground 11 as soon as class ended. Class was refreshing as he actually learned something and wasn't kicked out. When the training ground came into view, he saw Mikoto-san standing in a grass field surrounded by trees. "Hello Mikoto-san!" He shouted towards the woman.

She returned the greeting with a smile. "How are you, Naruto-kun?"

"I had an awesome day! Today I read the book you gave me in class but people laughed at me." Mikoto frowned at that but let the jinchūriki continue talking. "My friend Shikamaru told off the people who laughed at me. I didn't know we were even friends! Plus Chouji gave me a chip from bag, which means we are friends too. Oh and Chouji is an Akimichi just in case you didn't know. I was able to learn something in class and I wasn't even kicked out!" The hyperactive blond rambled on.

Mikoto continued to frown at some of the things she heard but did not pursue the topic since Naruto was obviously happy and she didn't want to ruin it. "Alright Naruto-kun since you are so happy today, how about we go buy you some new clothes?"

Naruto looked at her oddly. "What is wrong with my current clothes?"

Mikoto shook her head. "Naruto-kun a good ninja needs to use stealth by blending into the environment. Bright orange basically paints a target on you."

As much as Naruto liked orange, he knew Mikoto-san had a valid point. "The problem is that shops don't let me buy anything. If they did let me buy stuff, it is really overpriced. This jumpsuit was the cheapest thing I can buy."

Mikoto stared at the ground impassively but inside was a tornado of emotions. '_How dare the civilians treat a young child like this! The amount of hate he is receiving for something he has no control over is ridiculous!' _

"Come Naruto-kun, I know a shop that will sell you things at a fair price." She gestured to the boy.

Naruto stood rooted to his spot. "Mikoto-san, I appreciate it, but why are you so nice to me?"

The Uchiha woman frowned once again. _'He is ignored by the village so much that he doesn't know how to perceive kindness without being suspicious. Kushina-chan I feel regret for not being there for your son earlier.' _"Naruto-kun, I am doing this because I want to." She assured him.

Naruto tilted his head in confusion but decide not to think too much about it. "Well let me go grab money before we head off." Before Mikoto could protest, Naruto dashed away towards his apartment. After five minutes he returned and they headed off to the shop. They stopped outside a shop called Higarashi Weapons, where a young girl with buns in her hair was attending the counter.

"Hello Tenten-chan, can you call your parents for me? Mikoto asked the girl now known as Tenten. Tenten scurried up stairs to retrieve her parents. Soon a middle age man and woman, along with Tenten appeared.

"Welcome to our store Mikoto-sama." The man announced. "Kajiya-san [1], I told you not to call me sama. Mikoto-san is fine and hello to you Tera-san."

"Hello Mikoto-san, what can we do for you today?" Tera asked.

"Actually, I would like for you to help this one here." Mikoto ushered Naruto to in front of her. Tera and Kajiya instantly recognized who the boy was. The duo stared at Naruto and Naruto began to tense up under their gaze.

"What is that monstrosity that you are wearing young man?" Tera looked at the jumpsuit with disgust. "No don't answer; we will get you new clothes immediately. Tenten, please get my tools. Young man, I need you to strip." Naruto looked at her with shook and fear in his eyes. He quickly ran behind Mikoto to hide from Tera.

"Naruto-kun, it is okay." Mikoto reassured him. "She just wants to measure your body to make sure your new clothes fit." Naruto saw Tera nod in confirmation and took off his jacket and shirt. Instantly the temperature in the store dropped several degrees and killing intent leaked out from the three adults. Everyone stared at Naruto's body with utter horror.

His body was so skinny that you can see several outlines of bones. His arms looked like they would snap in half like twigs. His rib cage was in full display and his stomach was caved in. His entire figure looked like it could shatter into pieces if touched. How he was able to look like that and be alive was a mystery. Naruto and Tenten shuddered under the killing intent. Naruto collapsed onto his knees from the pressure and began holding his body to stop the shaking.

Seeing this, the adults immediately regretted their actions. Mikoto rushed to hug Naruto while Tera did the same with Tenten. Kajiya stood there and shook his head in disappointment. Mikoto broke the silence and released Naruto from the hug. "Naruto-kun what do you eat to look like that?" She didn't want to find out but the information needed to be known so she can help him.

"I eat ramen every day and that is pretty much it." Mikoto did not like his response.

"Don't you eat anything other than ramen?" The Uchiha asked Naruto.

Naruto shook his head negative. "I can't buy anything else at stores because they are either too expensive or spoiled." At that, Tenten rushed up the stairs and return later with bundles of snacks.

"Here take some of these, they are mine but you look you need them more than me." Tenten handed him her snacks.

"Thank you, my name is Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto introduced himself.

"Higarashi Tenten." Tenten pointed to herself. "Let's go get you a new set of clothes so I can burn those." Tenten dragged him along, followed by her mother. Mikoto and Kajiya were left alone. While waiting, Mikoto grabbed a kunai and shuriken set, a first aid kit, several sealing paper, two bottles of ink, a brush, and a chakra bokken. She dropped all of the items at the cash register. Soon Naruto came out from out back.

He wore a dark blue sleeveless shirt that way covered by an unzipped black jacket that had an orange Uzumaki swirl on the back. He had on black pants with orange streaks going along the side of each pants leg with black combat boots. He also had on dark blue fingerless gloves and replaces his old googles with a dark blue variety. The outfit was honestly a little big on Naruto but hopefully he grows into it. "Much better Naruto-kun, do you like your new outfit?" Mikoto asked the new outfitted boy.

"I do but I think it needs more orange." Naruto was pleased but he needed more of his favorite color.

Mikoto chuckled at the response. "Well I think you look handsome in that. Tera-san, can we have several pair of these clothes?" Tera and Tenten went off to retrieve the supplies while Naruto made his way to the counter.

"What is all this stuff for?" Naruto mused.

"I will explain this stuff to you later after we head to a few other places. Don't worry; you will need these supplies for later." Mikoto answered while Tera and Tenten returned with the clothes.

Kajiya rang them up at the counter. "Since you are a new customer, I'll make it 40% off the final price. It will come to 40,000 yen in all." Naruto retrieved his overstuffed Gama-chan and pulled out the money. Mikoto was shocked at the amount of money that Naruto had but chose not to dwell on it. "Alright I put all your things in this sealing scroll; you add chakra to take them out. Come see us any time you need anything." Naruto nodded and waved goodbye to the Higarashi family.

Tenten gave him a hug, which caused Naruto to blush slightly, and told him to start eating better. He promised to eat better after seeing everyone's expressions. Mikoto and Naruto made several more pit stops along the way. Naruto was introduced to the library, where Mikoto required him to read one book every week from the civilian section. As he went to check out the books that Mikoto gave him, the librarian stopped him from checking out the book.

Mikoto quickly gave her a glare and promised to tell the Hokage about this, which prompted the librarian to let Naruto check them out. They then went grocery shopping for Naruto, who received the ire from other customers. Placing the groceries in a sealing scroll, they headed back to Training Ground 11. They sat on a bench and Naruto started to ask questions.

"So what is all the stuff from Higarashi's?" Naruto asked.

"Well Naruto, a long time ago there was once a village called Uzushiogakure near Kirigakure. In that village lied the Uzumaki clan, who was famous for its Fuinjutsu and Kenjutsu. Fearing the Uzumaki, three of the major five elemental nations attacked Uzushiogakure during the Second Great Ninja War. Unfortunately Konohagakure was not fast to aid our allies and Uzushiogakure fell. Although in the end they fell, the three nations that attacked them lost 90% percent of their troops. This allowed Konohagakure to win the war over the other villages. The Uzumaki clan no longer exists but some of the people were able to flee in time. I figured that you would want to continue your clan's history."

Mikoto finished her history lesson. Naruto soaked in all the information and a grin appeared on his face. Although sad that his clan was destroyed, Naruto still held out hope. "I've decided that along with my dream to become Hokage, I will also look for other Uzumaki members. I'm going to learn this Fuinjutsu and Kenjutsu to honor my clan."

Mikoto smiled at his proclamation. "I knew you would say that. That was why I got you sealing paper and a chakra bokken along with Fuinjutsu and Kenjutsu books. Now Naruto, Fuinjutsu is a very dangerous art, you must promise me that you will be careful while learning it."

"Yes Mikoto-san, I will be extremely careful. What is Fuinjutsu anyway?" Naruto asked.

"Fuinjutsu is the art of sealing. It is very complex, so complex that it is a dying art. That being said Fuinjutsu is very helpful as you can see with the sealing scrolls." Mikoto explained that was also a Fuinjutsu expert in Konoha but he was not in town at the moment.

"I guess I will ask Hokage-Jiji about Fuinjutsu when he has time. What is a chakra bokken?" Naruto knew what they were separately but not together.

"If you apply chakra to this bokken, it would get heavier. This is used so you can get use to the weight of a real katana when you get one. It is mainly used for training purposes."

Naruto then asked Mikoto if she knew any Kenjutsu teachers. Mikoto shook her head no but said there are plenty of Kenjutsu users so he might see one someday. They then reviewed the book that Naruto read yesterday. They went over the words he didn't understand and reread the more important chapters. "So when am I going to learn a super awesome jutsu?" Naruto asked with sparkles in his eyes.

"Before I answer that, Naruto-kun can you tell me what the three basic Academy jutsus are?" Mikoto asked.

"It is **Kawarimi no Jutsu, Bunshin no Jutsu (Clone Technique), **and **Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique).**" Naruto concluded.

"Well did you know that when I was in active duty, that my alias was **Kawarimi no Megam**i?" Naruto stared at her like she was crazy.

"Why are you called that, there are so many cooler jutsus out there than the **Kawarimi no Jutsu**?" That puzzled Naruto greatly.

Mikoto nodded at his question. "You are right Naruto-kun; there are lots of cooler jutsus out there but the **Kawarimi no Jutsu **can save its user from death. Even if you have a cool jutsu to use, not all of them help you escape from certain death. That is why I trained until I mastered the technique and was able to escape my enemies countless because a jutsu is not as cool or low ranked than the other does not mean it is as useful. If you master a low rank jutsu and know how to use it well, isn't that better than using a high rank jutsu at half the power?" Mikoto finished.

Naruto processed on everything Mikoto-san said. It is true that every ninja knew **Kawarimi no Jutsu **because how useful it is. "You are right Mikoto-san; I will master the low rank jutsus first before trying to learn the high rank jutsus."

Mikoto smiled at the young boy. "If you do master the low rank jutsu, the high rank jutsus become easier to learn. Plus, there are so many low rank jutsus out there, that you can have a variety of different jutsus. You will truly be the most unpredictable ninja out there." Naruto loved the sound of that. Naruto hugged Mikoto as a thank you.

Mikoto could only return the hug she received from her best friend's son. "Okay we are going to start training and I expect you to work hard."

Naruto got up. "Yes Mikoto-sensei, I would be the best Hokage there ever was!"

***Several months later***

These past couple months were the happiest Naruto ever felt in his life. The first time everyone saw his new clothes, they didn't even recognized him. Shikamaru smirked and said "You never cease to interest me, Naruto." He was getting closer to his friends Shikamaru and Chouji. He even went to their houses a couple of times. He enjoyed playing shogi with Shikamaru even though he always seemed to lose. Shikamaru had to go into his thinking pose constantly when playing against Naruto due to Naruto's unpredictable nature.

He had eating contests with Chouji and they were tied at the moment. Naruto finally found someone to share his love of the food of the gods. Naruto ate at restaurants that the Akimichi owned often because of the good food and he was welcomed there. He also made friends with Shino and Hinata. He and Shino became friends when Naruto caught a golden Heracles beetle in the forest and brought it to class.

Shino asked if he could have the beetle to see if he could use it with his clan techniques. Naruto obliged since he was going to release it anyway. That was the day that Naruto swore that Shino's eyes shined bright even though he was wearing shades. They got along well despite Naruto's hyper activeness and Shino's stoic nature. They both shared a logical look at life.

Having Hinata as a friend was weird, due to the fact that she constantly fainted whenever they would talk. She faints less now but still blushes red a lot. They found that they both have a love for reading and even exchanged books from time to time. Naruto actually enjoy reading a lot more now than before he met Mikoto-san. He felt that he could immerse himself in a book and felt less lonely when reading.

Tenten would help him with his target throwing and would spar with Naruto on occasion. They often sparred with bokken with Tenten showing him different styles. Some days they would just relax and talk about their classes. Naruto found out that he was held back a year by Jiji because he and Tenten were the same age.

His training was going well if he said so himself. Naruto was no longer than dead last but was still near the lower half of the class. Kiba was furious by being passed by the dead last but could no longer say anything due to that would cause him to be a hypocrite. Iruka-sensei enjoyed that Naruto started paying attention during his lectures and was even friendly towards Naruto. Mikoto-san trained him in stealth, traps, and the basic Academy Jutsus. The training in stealth and traps was great for his pranks.

Since he never gets caught like Jiji said, he never gets punished for doing his pranks. The **Kakuremino no Jutsu (Cloak of Invisibility Technique) **greatly helped in the endeavor. Even though the whole village knew it was him, no one was able to catch him in the act. ANBU were running around constantly to catch him after he pranked their headquarters. He applied itch powder to all of their uniforms. They even have code words for situations involving him. True to his word, he never pranked the Uchiha compound again. He only pranked some Uchihas that pissed him off.

His training in the Academy Jutsus was going well except for the **Bunshin no Jutsu**. He was going to have to find a way to conquer it before graduation. He was able to master his first jutsu, **Nawanuke no Jutsu (Rope Escape Technique), **due to the fact Mikoto-san would make him escape from all kinds of bindings. He questioned the usefulness of this jutsu but Mikoto pointed it out to him.

With this jutsu, he would be able to quickly escape if taken hostage or pretend to be captured so he could be led into enemy headquarters. Once inside, he could escape with valuable information or take down the boss. Naruto then knew any jutsu could be helpful depending on the situation.

Although he sparred with Tenten, he was still unable to find a Kenjutsu teacher so he only practiced his swings with his bokken. He read about different styles but wasn't sure which one was right for him. He decided to postpone it until he found a Kenjutsu expert.

His Fuinjutsu on the other hand was going great. After practicing his calligraphy for two months, he was finally able to write without messing up. He was still on level one, which was identifying simple seals, but he was on his way to level two. His Jiji helped him maintain a steady hand and even suggested writing with his left hand as well. His reasoning was that his right hand might be occupied during battle, so he could write seals with his left.

His physical health was getting back to where he should be. He read a book on how to remain in ninja shape after recovering from an injury. Although he wasn't injured, the method helped him regardless. His new diet allowed him to gain pounds and he started to fill his clothing now. He was exercising regularly and was doing lots of running to increase his stamina. Using **Henge**, he was now able to buy foods and clothing at normal price.

Naruto marched on towards Training Grounds 11 but notice several villages' and ninjas' solemn expressions. Today was a beautiful day with a few clouds in there air. Why were they so sad? Deciding it would be best to ignore the villagers, Naruto proceeded to the training grounds where Mikoto-san would be. As soon as he arrived, Mikoto-san was nowhere in sight. '_Could she be stuck at home? No she would have told me beforehand at least.' _Naruto pondered when the Hokage came up to him.

"Naruto, I guess you haven't heard yet?" Hiruzen asked despite knowing the answer.

"What are you talking about Jiji?" Naruto was confused by the Hokage's question. "What haven't I heard?" He asked before thinking to himself. '_The old man is acting weird as well, what is going on?' _

"Follow me Naruto and don't ask anything until we get there." Hiruzen gestured to Naruto. They walk silently the whole way, even the villagers didn't pay him a passing glance. They arrived at the cemetery and Hiruzen stopped at a tombstone. On it read:

_Here lies Uchiha Mikoto_

_A loving wife and mother as well as a strong kunoichi of Konohagakure no Sato._

"H-Hey Jiji, this i-is just a prank r-right? It's probably punishment for all the pranks I did. I'm sorry for whatever I did but this is going too far. I mean I just saw Mikoto-san yesterday. There is no way she is dead. She looked just fine yesterday." Naruto knew it was a lie, it had to be.

"Naruto, yesterday night Uchiha Itachi killed everybody in the Uchiha clan except for Uchiha Sasuke. We have no idea why he did it, but we will ask Sasuke when he wakes up from his comatose state. I am sorry to say that this is not a prank." The Hokage said softly, not wanting to hurt his surrogate grandson. Naruto collapsed onto the ground.

'_There is no way Itachi-nii would do something like that. He was the kindest person beside Mikoto-san. Why would he kill everyone, especially his mother?'_ Naruto was lost for words. _'_What_ was he trying to achieve? I-I don't understand what is going on anymore.' _Naruto tears escaped his eyes and fell towards the ground.

Inside Hiruzen was filled with guilt. Thanks to his incompetence, Danzo was able to order Itachi to kill every single Uchiha to prevent a _coup d'état_. He deems himself guilty for the lives of all that died and the three that was affect the most by their deaths. Itachi will be forced to live on the run being pursued by hunter-nin and dealing with turmoil that comes from killing his clan.

Sasuke will live knowing that fact that he is the "Last (Loyal) Uchiha" and be faced with loneliness that he has never experience before. He would also question why Itachi left him alive and possibly seek out revenge against his brother. Naruto lost the mother and brother figure in a single night. Unlike Sasuke, he dealt with loneliness but that doesn't mean is any less. Hiruzen noticed that Naruto truly smiled to people since Mikoto came into life and was probably the happiest in his young life.

Hiruzen knelt down and hugged his surrogate grandson, who was now crying tears on the ground. He cursed his inability to do anything right. He failed Minato, Kushina, Naruto, and now the entire Uchiha clan. He refuses to fail anybody else and Danzo will come to fear why he was known as the **Shinobi no Kami**.

[1] Kajiya means blacksmith while Tera means tailor.

**Jutsu List**

**Bunshin no Jutsu (Clone Jutsu) – E rank  
><strong>This jutsu, one of the basic Academy jutsus, creates an illusionary figure resembling the ninja. The primary use of this technique is to distract or confuse the opponent. Once the Bunshin is attack or comes in contact with the opponent it disperses.

**Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique) – E rank  
><strong>This jutsu, one of the basic Academy jutsus, allows the jutsu to change into any person or object. Its primary use is to trick the opponent or to move stealthy in an open environment. Sensors are able to detect when someone is under a henge.

**Kakuremino no Jutsu (Cloak of Invisibility Technique) – E rank  
><strong>This jutsu covers the user with a camouflage cloak that blends to any environment. Its primary use is to allow the ninja to move around discreetly.

**Kawarimi no Jutsu (Change of Body Technique) – E rank  
><strong>This jutsu, one of the basic Academy jutsus, allows the ninja to substitute with a nearby object. Its primary use it allow the ninja to escape a deadly attack. The ninja can then choose to retreat or retaliate.

**Nawanuke no Jutsu (Rope Escape Technique) – E rank  
><strong>This jutsu allows the ninja to escape from rope bindings. Its primary use is to escape from capture, allow the ninja the option to flee or strike.


	3. Chapter 3

A.N.

I have finally decided on the pairings for this story and it is a Naruto x Small Harem. I know that a lot of people don't like harem but I like the idea of Naruto having a small group of girls that care about him. The harem will be 3 to 4 girls. One spot is already filled by *drumrolls* femHaku! In canon, Haku was a major influence on Naruto. I still refuse to believe Haku was a boy in canon. So I made Haku a girl and she will also be important in this story.

There are two or three more spots for the rest of the harem. I will let the readers vote on which girl they want by a poll and reviews. The poll will be displayed on my profile. You will be allowed two choices so you have a total of four votes. I will stop counting the votes, three chapters from now. So I will announce the results when Chapter 6 is out. Here is the list and if you see a female that you want but isn't there, they most likely will play another role in the story.

Anko Mitarashi  
>Fu<br>Hana Inuzuka  
>Karui<br>Kin Tsuchi  
>Konan<br>Kurotsuchi  
>Mabui<br>Mei Terumi  
>Samui<br>Tenten Higarashi  
>Yugito<p>

This chapter was way longer than it was supposed to be. I was gunning for the Genin exams but it just didn't work out that way. Oh well more content for the next chapter(s). Reviews will be answered at the bottom of the chapter. Well enough talking, onto the next chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: Letting the Kit out of the Bag<strong>

Two week has passed since the Uchiha Massacre and life in Konohagakure has returned to normalcy. Uchiha Itachi was placed in the bingo book as an S-Class missing ninja as the man responsible for the event. Uchiha Sasuke was placed under the care of elders, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, until he is sixteen to be a clan head. He was asked questions about Itachi as soon as he was awoken.

Sasuke had fits of anger when Itachi's name was spoken. Many civilians deemed it taboo to speak of Itachi's name in front of Sasuke when they saw how he reacted. Sasuke was readmitted into the Academy as soon as he was healthy. During his recovery, his fan club grew to insane proportions. Fan girls and fan boys were hoping to help the 'tragic hero' and constantly hounded him with gifts. Sasuke, however, paid them no attention and trained constantly when he wasn't attending classes.

Our protagonist has not been attending the classes. He remained locked up in his room and only came out when he was summoned by the Hokage. Hiruzen was worried about his surrogate grandson and would take him to eat ramen. Naruto would eat a single bowl of ramen, thank the Hokage, and return home. Ayame and Teuchi were worried sick about their favorite customer.

Naruto woke up from his slumber. To him, time seemed still and nothing was worth getting up for. He missed talking to Itachi-nii and training with Mikoto-san. '_Why did Itachi-nii do it? I don't believe it was to test his powers like the villagers are saying. Itachi-nii was too kind for that. There is no way he was faking all of that. He loved Konoha as much as the next person. He would do anything for Konoha.' _Naruto tried to decipher Itachi's action but was coming up blank.

A light knock came from his door and Naruto got up to open the door for his Jiji. Except the person behind the door was not the Hokage, but the lazy Nara. "Hey Shikamaru what are you doing here?" Naruto asked. Shikamaru said nothing while his eyes were scanning Naruto for something.

"Mom told me to come get you for dinner at our place, you troublesome blond." Shikamaru sighed at his friend. This is the first time he has his friend in two week, but Naruto looked like a shell of himself.

Naruto's clothes were ruffled and he had bag under his eyes. Probably from the lack of sleep and crying, seeing as his eyes was still red. "Sorry Shika, tell your mom that I will come another time." Naruto refused the offer and was going to close the door until a hand stopped it.

"Naruto, you don't understand what that troublesome woman would do to me if I don't bring you. Look I know you don't want to go but do it as a favor for me?" Shikamaru pleaded.

Naruto sighed and nodded but told Shikamaru to wait for his to get clean and dressed. In about fifteen minutes, the duo made their way to the Nara Compound. On their way, villagers directed their scorn at Naruto. '_Even now they still hate me. Hopefully Shikamaru won't notice but I doubt it. He is way too smart not to.' _Naruto thought as he walked. Like Naruto thought, Shikamaru did notice their stares at Naruto.

'_Those glares always appear whenever I am with Naruto. Is it because of the pranks that he did? No, even a prank couldn't produce a look like that. Does it have something to do with the graffiti on his apartment wall? They were calling him a demon and telling him to die. Plus, all the adults seem to know something our generation doesn't. As always everything doing with Naruto is so troublesome.'_ Shikamaru thoughts ceased as the duo arrived at the compound.

Shikamaru directed Naruto to the backyard of the main house. "Surprise!" Multiple voices rang out as soon as Naruto came into view. Naruto stood there shocked at the people he saw. He saw his friends and most of their parents along with Ayame, Teuchi, Hokage-jiji, and Iruka-sensei. He looked up to see a banner that read: Happy 10th Birthday Naruto! Naruto had forgotten all about his birthday. Today was October the 10th, his birthday as well as the day the Kyuubi attacked Konoha. It was also the day the Yondaime Hokage died killing the Kyuubi.

A minute passed and no reaction came from Naruto. A slap hit the back of his head, releasing him from his stupor. He looked at Shikamaru who was giving a wordless look, '_Well say something, you troublesome blond.' _Naruto gave a wide grin and shouted his thanks for everyone to hear. His friends and Ino ran up to him and congratulated him on getting a year older. They even told him they got him presents! Naruto never got a birthday party or presents before.

He had no idea what to do so he thanked them again. The party went into full swing and Naruto quickly forgot the sadness that plagued him for the last few weeks. Teuchi and Ayame gave him a personalized ramen bowl that was decorated with fishcakes before they had to leave to open up the shop. Hokage-jiji wished him a happy birthday and told Naruto to meet him in his office for his present before leaving. Naruto was happy that he was able to spend his birthday with people other than his Jiji.

He ate lots of cake and ice cream and was hyperactive the whole entire time much to the disdain of the adults. Finally it was time to open to open the rest of the presents. Ino was the first to give her present. It was a purple hyacinth in a pot. "It means forgiveness in flower language; I hope you can forgive me for being mean to you all of these years." Ino apologized.

Naruto looked at her and smiled. "It's okay Ino, how about we become friends?"

Ino nodded and gave her own smile. "I would like that very much Naruto."

Inoichi and Noriko [1] Yamanaka nodded their heads, although for different reasons. Noriko was happy that her daughter gained a friend while Inoichi was happy that nothing was going on between Naruto and his princess. Shikaku and Choza just shook their head at their friend's obvious happiness.

Iruka gave Naruto a book that had a blank cover. Iruka kneeled down to Naruto's height and began whispering. "This book contains all my prank ideas that I thought up when I was younger. Just like you, I was the pariah of the village before I graduated from the Academy. You can use these ideas as long as it is not directed to me or the Academy." Naruto nodded and gave Iruka a hug.

Chouji gave him a one day all you can eat pass at an Akimichi restaurant of his choosing. "You better tell your chefs to be ready because you and I are going to have an eating contest soon." Naruto challenged his big boned friend.

"You are going down! This will break our tie." Chouji shouted back. Choza and Chiharu [1] Akimichi grew pale and were rapidly making plans to gather extra supplies.

Hinata gave him the latest sequel to the romance novel 'Doki Doki: Almost Lovers'. The series was immensely popular with the female population and rivaled the Icha Icha series in sales. "Thanks Hinata-chan I didn't know a new book came out." Naruto didn't understand the series much but he didn't want to make Hinata sad. It also gave them something to talk about.

"Ano, it came out a week ago." Hinata said while she was twirling her fingers and blushing red. That clicked something in Naruto's head. While he was inside the sanctuary of his apartment, many things happen that he didn't know about. "I h-hope you like your p-present Naruto-kun." Hinata didn't notice Naruto change in expression.

Naruto wore his mask once again and smiled to Hinata. "Thanks Hinata-chan, well talk about it at the Academy." Naruto didn't have time to dwell on his thoughts when Shino came up to him.

"Naruto-san, I once again wish to congratulate you on your birthday. Before I give you your present, I shall inform you about of the golden Hercules beetle that you gave me. The beetle and my kikaichu were able produce a new breed of insect." Shino held out his index finger and out came a larger kikaichu that was golden. Instantly the women fled from the Aburame and Naruto. Naruto noticed a slight tick mark on Shino's head.

"Shino, first off, I told you to call me Naruto. Secondly, isn't it really hard to assimilate with new insects? Thirdly, what does it do? Finally, that is so cool! Glad I was able to help you out Shino." Naruto saw Shino revert back to his stoic state although he seemed happier now. Naruto wasn't sure if he was right because no one can really tell an Aburame's expressions.

"Yes, you did tell me to call you with honorifics and I will remember it the next time we speak. It is indeed difficult to assimilate a new species but these were the offspring from my own kikaichu. That allowed the process to be easier than normally. I have yet to discover its abilities but regardless a new species is an exciting event in my clan." Everyone else had a single thought '_Of course your clan gets excited about bugs.'_

"This is your present that I wish to give you." Shino grabbed a ring and handed it to Naruto. "This ring is given to the allies of the Aburame Clan. Inside the ring is the pheromone of a female kikaichu that can be released by applying chakra to it. When it is released, insects will surround you and form a cocoon to protect you from harm. While it is not an effective defense, it should be able to survive a single attack."

Naruto stared at the ring and Shino wide eyed. The ring was white with an engraving of a black kikaichu on it. "You sure you want to give me this? I mean this is obviously important." Naruto was unsure he can accept this present.

"Naruto not only did you help me discover a new species but you never treated me or my clan like freaks. That is more than enough for me to trust you. If you decline, that means you don't deem my clan as worthy allies." Shino said with no emotion.

Naruto frowned at Shino's comment. "Of course I think your clan as worthy allies so I will gladly accept this ring, thank you Shino." Naruto said as he slipped the ring onto his middle finger on his left hand. Shino nodded as well as his father. Shibi approved of his son's choice and was glad that he was able to find a trustworthy friend.

Tenten was next to give Naruto his present. "Well I was actually planning to give you something else, but dad told me not to. He says to visit him tomorrow for something I can't tell you." Naruto was confused by her actions but allowed her to continue nonetheless. "Anyway, I got you this book, revealing 'Fuinjutsu level two: Try not to blow yourself up', since I know you are almost finished with level one."

Naruto was ecstatic about this present since he didn't need to wait to be a Genin to borrow a copy from the library. He hugged Tenten real tight as a thank you. This set off a chain of reactions from everyone. Tenten blushed red from the being hugged by a boy in public. Hinata was paralyzed and really jealous that she wasn't in Tenten's position. Ino's eye had a strangle gleam to it. The younger boys knew Naruto was just being friendly. The adults, on the other hand, were snickering at the two kids.

Naruto pulled back and tilted his head in confusion. Then he remembered something from the Doki Doki series. Girls blush when hugged by boys when it is in public or by someone they like. Naruto did not know which one Tenten was blushing about so he did what boys his age did. He proceeded to blush the color of a ripe tomato. A cough from Shikamaru composed the 10 year olds. Thanking Tenten once again and promising to visit tomorrow, he turned to the Naras.

"Thank you for allowing my birthday party to be here, Shikaku-san and Yoshino-san." Naruto bowed to the husband and wife.

Yoshino ran up to him and pulled him into a hug. "You know you are always welcome here Naru-chan." She teased.

"Yoshino-san, don't call me that, it is embarrassing." He sent the male Naras a look requesting help. They looked away, whistling as if they did not know what was going on.

'_Sorry Naruto, she is just too troublesome to deal with.' _Shikaku and Shikamaru did not want to deal with the wrath of the woman. Naruto looked betrayed and he slowly cursed his fate.

"Anyway Shikamaru also brought you a present." Yoshino let him go, much to Naruto's relief.

"I don't have a present to give Naruto." Shikamaru said dryly.

"What do you mean; you didn't get one of your best friends a present?" Yoshino pulled Shikamaru by the ear.

"It was too troublesome to get him a present." Shikamaru remarked. Naruto frowned that one of his best friends thought it was too troublesome to get him a present. Naruto smiled at Shikamaru nonetheless since Shika's friendship was a good enough present.

"It's alright Shika; I'll kick your ass in shoji next time!" Naruto proclaimed.

Shikamaru smirked at Naruto. "I can't wait for that day to come." Although inwardly Yoshino was mad at her son, she knew she couldn't do anything about it. The party continued on until the late night. Naruto helped clean up and once again thanked the Naras before heading off to the Hokage Tower.

Naruto knocked on the door and was given permission to come in. There was his grandfather figure doing paperwork yet again. "Oh happy birthday my boy and it is good to see you." Hiruzen came and gave Naruto a hug, then retreated back to his desk. Naruto sat in a chair in front of the desk and waited for his Jiji. Hiruzen dismissed the ANBU from their posts and activated the privacy seals. Before the Hokage can speak, a blur from the corner of the room smashed into the bookcase.

There stood a man with long white hair and a gigantic scroll on his back holding an ANBU member with a blank mask by the neck. The white haired man was Jiraiya of the Sannin and the author of his Fuinjutsu books. Jiraiya snapped the ANBU's neck in a quick fashion. "Good thing I was in the room sensei or we would have been spied on." The body was sealed into a scroll of Jiraiya's and given to an ANBU member that returned when Hiruzen deactivated his privacy seals. After the ANBU left, the Jiraiya activated his own seals. "Just in case sensei, we don't want the stuff we are talking about coming out of this room."

Naruto sat there confused on what was going on. The toad sage then took a seat next to Naruto. "Happy Birthday, Gaki." Jiraiya told Naruto.

"Thanks Jiraiya-sama but do I know you?" Naruto asked which made Jiraiya laugh in amusement.

"So you know about the Great Jiraiya-sama, but your questions will be answered soon." Jiraiya said since they had more pressing matters.

The Hokage coughed to get the two's attention. "Naruto, I have been hiding a lot of things from you and I want to make it up to you by telling the truth. I know you have a lot of questions and I will answer them but do not interrupt me when I am talking. What I am about to tell you doesn't leave this room, understand?" Hiruzen spoke seriously to get his word across. Naruto nodded in agreement and kept his silence.

Hiruzen took a long drag from his pipe before he spoke. "I am sure you are wondering why the villagers hate you since the day you were born. On the day you were born, the Kyuubi no Yoko attacked Konohagakure. It tore the village apart with its claw and tails and was about to release its strongest attack on the village. Luckily, the Yondaime was about to teleport the beast away from the village. In the history books, it says that the Yondaime defeated the is not the truth and I was the one who fabricated it. The Kyuubi is not actually alive; it is simply a ball of chakra or a biju. Since it is not alive, it cannot be killed. The Yondaime was forced to seal the beast into a newborn baby in exchanged for his life. The baby he put the Kyuubi in was you Naruto. You are the jinchūriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko." The Sandaime concluded.

To say Naruto was stunned, was an understatement. His entire core was shell shocked from the news and he could see why the villagers glared at him. _They think I'm the Kyuubi, the same beast that killed all of their loved ones. Were they right? Am I the Kyuubi that terrorized Konoha?_ His thoughts were interrupted by Jiraiya.

"I heard you know about Fuinjutsu so you must know the difference between a scroll and a kunai. You are a jinchūriki and serve as the scroll to the Kyuubi's kunai."

Naruto slowly nodded as he knew the difference but was still not fully convinced. "What is a jinchūriki and is the seal secure?"

Hiruzen decided to answer his question. "A jinchūriki is a human sacrifice made to hold a biju. Including you, there are 8 other jinchūriki spread out the entire elemental nations. Of all the seals, yours is the most secure since the Yondaime was a level 10 Fuinjutsu master."

Naruto eyes widen over the fact that there were others like him. Were they hated and scorned just as he was? "Are all jinchūriki treated this way and why do the villagers attack me if I am the one keeping the beast contained?" Naruto said calmly but there was a hint of anger in his voice. If the villagers acted this way towards him, then the others probably have the same or worse treatment.

"A jinchūriki's identity is usually kept hidden from the other elemental countries because they are often targeted for kidnap and assassination. The only known jinchūrikis are Roshi and Han of Iwagakure, Yagura of Kirigakure, and Kirabi of Kumogakure. Not much is known about Roshi and Han except that they fought in the Third Great Shinobi War. Yagura is the Mizukage of Kirigakure and Kirabi is viewed as a hero in his village because of his actions in the war." Jiraiya tried to assure Naruto that not all jinchūriki are treated badly. He did leave out the fact that Yagura is trying to commit genocide against bloodline users.

Hiruzen spoke up this time. "Most villagers and even some ninja do not understand how seals work. As you know, Fuinjutsu is a very complex art that is slowly dying out because not many people can understand it. They cannot fathom how a bunch of lines of ink can possibly hold back a beast such as the biju. I know I cannot possibly tell you to forgive them after all they have done to you."

"It is okay, Jiji. I could sort of understand why they feel this way because they fear what they don't understand. Who all knows about my status?" Naruto was worried that everyone knew about him.

"Only the adults should know about your status as a jinchūriki since some ninja saw the Yondaime seal the Kyuubi in you. Word was around before I was able to make a law that prohibits anybody to talk about your status baring execution. The younger generation doesn't know about it." Hiruzen explained and he saw the relief that came from Naruto's face.

"Thank you for finally telling me and trusting me enough for this secret." Naruto stood up and bowed deeply.

Hiruzen stood up and sat on the floor in front of Naruto. He bowed with his head on the floor. "Naruto after everything I have done to you, yet you still thank me. I do not deserve your thanks as I am a failure as your grandfather." Hiruzen felt hands lifting his head and the same hands wrapping around his torso.

"Jiji, don't ever say that! I don't care what anyone else says. You are the best Jiji in the world and I cannot be any happier." The grandfather and grandson wept in each other arms. Both were feeling relief for different reasons but they were happy to have one another. Jiraiya turned away from the seen to give the some privacy while wiping his own manly tears away. What would his fans say if they caught him crying over such a sappy scene?

They finally released each other and went back to their seats. A smile graced the faces of the two men and boy. Hiruzen then sported a frown. "As you know now Naruto, a lot of responsibility is placed on your shoulders. I am confident you can handle it." The Hokage said with pride in his voice.

"Jiji, I know I am not to talk to anyone about this but can I tell Shikamaru and Shino? They are my best friends and I trust them not to tell anyone." Naruto pleaded to his grandfather.

Hiruzen pondered his surrogate grandson's words. The toad sage answered for him. "I think its fine for him to tell them sensei; they don't seem to be the type to judge. If the gaki believes that they are trustworthy, why not believe in his choice of friends?" The Hokage said a yes but told him it had to be somewhere private.

"Thank you Jiji, is there anything else you need from me?" The blonde asked.

Hiruzen nodded. "I have another secret I am keeping from you Naruto and it is regarding your parents. I, however, cannot tell you until you reach the rank of Chunin because it is for your safety. Your parents and I both believe that once you are strong enough you would be able to handle certain threats. Please try to understand our reasoning."

Naruto had only one though in his head. "Did they, my parents, love me?"

Hiruzen smile was one of remembrance. "They loved you more than anything in this world. You were their treasure and they regret not being able to see you grow up. I know if they were here, they would be really proud of you."

Naruto knew that meant they were dead but he still smiled that his parents loved him. "Thank you Jiji that should be everything, I presume?" Naruto asked but the Hokage pointed to his student.

"I have a present to give you, gaki. The present is a godfather or more specifically me. Your parents made me your godfather before you were born." Naruto eyes widen at Jiraiya words and then narrowed in rage. Naruto got up and kicked Jiraiya in the gut and then followed with an uppercut to the chin. Naruto took out his bokken from its seal and applied chakra to it, making it the heaviest he can possibly handle. He dashed and did a side swipe to hit Jiraiya on the side.

Naruto huffed and puffed from the exertion of his actions. "Where were you for 8 years of my life!? I had no one here for me except for Jiji, Ayame-neesan, Teuchi-san, and Iruka-sensei for 8 years. I was beaten, abused, spitted on, ignored and glared at by the villagers every day of my life. My life finally got better when Mikoto-san and Itachi-nii came into my life last year. Slowly I started to have friends and people that care about me. Where were you when I desperately needed someone when Mikoto-san died two weeks ago!?I know I am just a brat to you but couldn't you have been in my life just for an hour? You probably have lots of duties to perform as the Sannin. Was it that hard to tell me you existed? I am sorry but I don't want to see your face anymore today." Naruto stormed out the room and slammed the door leaving a down casted Jiraiya.

Hiruzen watched his student. "Why didn't you dodge his attacks?"

Jiraiya got up from the floor and sat down in the chair once more. "I deserved that beating from him." His hand moved to his side to soothe the pain.

"Just give him some time to breathe, he doesn't hate you but it will take time for him to open up to you." Hiruzen tried to cheer up his student the best he can. "On to other news, there is another reason I called you back here besides it being Naruto's birthday. I want you to bring Tsunade back to Konoha."

"Sensei she left here 17 years ago and I don't think anything is going to bring her back." Jiraiya knew that bring back his teammate was a difficult task.

"Tell her that I will pay for her debts with my finances and that I will allow for the medic-nin program to be made. If she were to refuse, she will be stripped of her rights as a Sannin and will be declared as a missing-nin. Also, tell her that Naruto is alive."

Jiraiya slammed his hands onto the desk. "Are you trying to get me killed Sarutobi-sensei? I was already going to get pummeled because of the threat. Now I am going to be killed, get revived, and killed again when I tell her about Naruto. Tsunade was close with Kushina before she left with the village with Shizune. She believes that Naruto died along with his parents, if she finds out we have been hiding him from her, we are basically signing our death sentences."

Hiruzen took a drag from his pipe. "Trust me, I know what will happen but I need her here when I finally take down Danzo."

Jiraiya sat down with that statement. "So you are finally going to kill that old goat. It is about time, I never did like him even if he is helping Konoha."

Hiruzen nodded. "I know that he will not be an easy person to take down so I will need someone here just in case I fall in battle. That does not mean I plan on dying but I am not in the shape I used to be."

"Alright old man, I will bring back Tsunade with me to Konoha even if she is the one dragging my prone body through the gates. I hope Naruto talks to me when I come back." With that Jiraiya left the building by the windowsill, leaving Hiruzen all alone.

The Hokage stared at a picture of the Yondaime. "I will correct my mistakes Minato even it costs me my life." He glanced at his eternal enemy on his desk. "Although I wished you would have told me how to defeat the devil before you died." Hiruzen then went back to stamping papers into the night.

***The Next Day***

Naruto was jogging around the town in the early morning hours. He was thinking about the conversation he had with the old man and Jiraiya. Jiji had finally told him why he was hated by the villagers. He felt like a burden was removed from his shoulders even though it was now in his stomach. Although he was mad at Jiraiya, he needed to be civilized and at least let him explain his reasons the next time he saw him.

Naruto was out of breath by the time he came back from his apartment. Not exercising for two weeks really was draining on his stamina. He remembered that Tenten said Kajiya-san told him to come see him today. Deciding to tell his friends his secret later, Naruto showered and headed towards Higarashi Weapons.

Even though people were only beginning to wake up to start their day, the store was already open. "Good morning, Kajiya-san." Naruto announced to the older man.

"Good morning to you Naruto-kun, why are you up this early? Even Tenten and Tera are still in bed." Kajiya answered the 10 year old.

"Well I was out training, when I remembered Tenten told me to see you today." Naruto explained his reason.

"Well give me a minute and I will go and get your gift." As Kajiya went to the back to retrieve Naruto's gift, a sickly person walked into store.

"Excuse me *cough* is Kajiya-san *cough* here?" The sick person asked Naruto.

"Yeah he is in the back, are you ok? Do you need someone to take you to the hospital?" Naruto was honestly worried about the man who looked like he was going to collapse any second.

"No I am fine, thank you. I have a *cough* problem because I breathed in some toxic gas on a mission. Since it never was fully cured, I was left with a *cough* problem."

Kajiya came back with a wakizashi and saw the man. "Good morning Hayate-san, what can I do for you today? The man now known as Hayate replied.

"Good morning Kajiya-san *cough* I was wondering if you can fix my katana for me. I chipped it during my last mission." Kajiya nodded while Naruto looked at Hayate.

"Excuse me, do you practice Kenjutsu?"Naruto asked with hope in his words.

Hayate saw that he was being addressed and nodded. "I am one of the Kenjutsu masters in Konoha."

Naruto smiled at finding a potential teacher. "I am sorry I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Uzumaki Naruto and I am actually looking for a Kenjutsu teacher."

Hayate smiled as well. "My name is Gekko Hayate and it is nice someone young *cough* interested in Kenjutsu. I would be interested in teaching you but you don't seem to have a blade." Kajiya interrupted the two.

"Actually he does have one, this one right here." Kajiya held up the black wakizashi. "This wakizashi is yours Naruto-kun. This blade once belonged to Mikoto-san and she wished for me to give it to you on your birthday. I hope you accept it." He gave the blade to Naruto. Naruto was amazed at the blade in his sheath was pure black that seemed to absorb any light that touched it. The handle was dark blue with a black Uzumaki swirl on it. There was a circle on top of the handle. "I see you notice the circle. Go ahead and pull on it." Kajiya commented. Naruto did as told and pulled the circle. When he pulled it, a small kunai came out of the handle. "That is one of the improvements I made towards the blade. If you are in a pinch, the kunai would be able to at least surprise your enemies."

Naruto returned the kunai to its place and pulled the blade from its sheath. The wakizashi was a medium length katana. The metal was a pristine white like it was brand new and the blade itself was light. Naruto took a few swings with his new blade. The movements were fluid and effortless like the blade was made for him. "I see you like it. Mikoto-san asked that I make her katana into a wakizashi for you because it suited you more." Kajiya smiled at the little blond.

Naruto admired the blade that Mikoto once used. Naruto gave a sad smile as he sheathed his wakizashi. _'Even after death, you still watch out for me. I promise I will treasure this blade and use it to fulfill my dreams.'_

"What are you going to name your blade?" Hayate asked.

Naruto looked at Kajiya. "Did this blade have a name?"

Kajiya scratched his beard and pondered. "I don't believe Mikoto-san gave it a name. Either that or she never told me its name. You should name it."

Naruto looked at the blade and he instantly found a name worthy. "This wakizashi will now be called **Jogi no Kotoba (Words of a Ruler) **[2]in honor of Mikoto-san." Both males smiled at the name.

"Well it looks like you now have a blade Naruto." A lady with long purple hair came into the store.

"Yugao-chan *cough* sorry it took so long, I was in here talking." Hayate apologized to the woman. To Naruto, she seemed oddly familiar like he has seen her before.

Naruto then recognized the hair of the woman. "Neko-san, is that you?" Yugao smiled and nodded her head.

"Naruto that is my name when I am in my ANBU uniform, my name otherwise is Uzuki Yugao." Yugao introduced herself to Naruto.

Naruto nodded and turned to Hayate. "Hayate-san can you teach me Kenjutsu?"

Hayate thought while he handed his katana to Kajiya. "Sure, only if you pass my test." Naruto nodded quickly because he was so excited.

"You must spar with Yugao-chan while showing me your skills. You don't need to win, just show me that I won't regret training you."

Yugao put her hand on her hip like she was annoyed. "So I don't have a say in this matter?" Hayate promised that he will make it up to her and she agreed that it will be a date. So the trio left Higarashi's and went to Training Ground 11. Naruto strapped his sword to his waist while Yugao took her katana out from a scroll and strapped it to her back. They went to the middle of the field, standing a few feet away from each other.

"Since this is a spar, there will be no kill shots so try not to kill each other. The spar ends when I say so or your opponent gives up." Hayate explained the rules of the spar.

Yugao turned to him with a grin on her face. "You could be a proctor for the exams one day." Hayate didn't comment as he raised his hand. Yugao and Naruto got it battle stances. Hayate swung his hand down to start the match.

-**Yugao vs Naruto-**

Naruto quickly fled into the woods as soon as the match started. "Damn it, I was hoping that he wouldn't have fled." As an ANBU, Yugao was often tasked with finding Naruto after a prank had occurred. Like everyone else, she was unable to spot Naruto anywhere in the village. She had hoped he would fight her head on. Now she either chased after him while running through possible traps or waits until he shows himself.

She decided on the third option: make him come out. **Katon: ****Housenka no Jutsu (Mythical Fire Phoenix Technique). **Yugao shot small fireballs from her mouth and aimed it at the trees. Some trees were burnt from the technique but Naruto was still not seen. A kunai was thrown from the trees and Yugao sidestepped away from it. This time two shurikens came whirling from her left, making Yugao ran forward. Despite this action, the shurikens followed her movements.

'_What, how is it following me?' _Yugao then saw an odd glimmer from the sun. _'He is using ninja wire to control the shurikens path.' _Yugao grabbed her katana and severed the connection. From his hiding spot, Naruto waited for the right opportunity to strike. When Yugao turned her back on Naruto, he pounced. Yugao felt a presence behind her so she drove her left foot into the ground and spun with right foot in the air. Her foot met a burned piece of wood and the wood shattered under the pressure.

'_He was able to __**Kawarimi**__ just in time but how did he get behind me?' _Her thoughts were interrupted when two shuriken attached with ninja wire came from her right and left. She ducked under the attack only for a kunai to come straight at her face. She tilted her body to avoid the flying projectile. Only her instincts saved her from the next attack. Yugao dropped to the ground narrowly avoiding a cut from Naruto's blade.

Naruto swung his blade down but was interfered by Yugao's katana. Yugao using her superior strength and pushed Naruto's wakizashi back. Yugao pressed her hands on the ground and swung her feet up to her chest. As soon as her feet were over her head, her hands pushed off the ground allowing her body to sail towards Naruto. Naruto crossed his arms across his chest when Yugao kick planted on his arms.

Naruto skidded back from the force of the kicks. He had no time to think as Yugao was already up and pressing him. Yugao swung her katana in a downward arc and Naruto blocked by raising his wakizashi with his right hand. He instantly grabbed the handle with his left hand and pulled out the small kunai. He flicked the kunai at Yugao's chest, forcing her to dodge by bending her backwards. He **Kawarimi **with the kunai and swung his blade upwards towards Yugao's back.

With cat like reflexes, Yugao used her blade to hit the top of Naruto's sword. She flipped her body upright instantly and swung her sword's handle at Naruto's right hand. The moved caused Naruto's hand to tense up and he dropped his blade. The next thing he felt was Yugao's katana pressed against his neck. "I concede." Naruto said while raising his hand upwards.

Clapping could be heard from Hayate. "I must say you are better than I thought."

Yugao put her katana back and so did Naruto. "You almost got me some of the times Naruto. That is something even if I am only going at you with 25% of my full strength."

Naruto jaw dropped at the proclamation. "Man, I thought you were going full strength the whole time."

Hayate and Yugao laughed at his disappointment. "Naruto if I were to go full strength, you would have never made it to the woods. I am not an ANBU for nothing." YUgao tried to bring up his spirits.

"Naruto I must say that performance was *cough* impressive *cough* I would gladly train you in Kenjutsu but I must say that you have some weaknesses. Although Yugao is older than you she was able to outmuscle and outrun when she wasn't going full speed. I know that it sounds harsh since she is an ANBU but I think we should work on allowing you to go faster at bursts and strength training. Your stamina is good as you don't *cough* seemed fatigued. You were able to make some good plans but it seemed like you were swinging your sword wildly at times. I figured you don't have a style so I will *cough* help you find one. Now I want you to explain the battle to me and why you did such things so I can help choose a Kenjutsu style that fits you." Hayate appraised Naruto's performance.

"I train at this training ground often so I am used to the terrain around here. As you said, I have no Kenjutsu style so I was planning to attack with long distance attack. I ran into the woods hoping Yugao-san would follow me. She didn't and tried to flush me out. I threw a kunai to get to get her to dodge. I then threw two shurikens that I attached with ninja wire and directed her back to her original position. As soon as she saw the wire, I tied the wire to a tree branch. I then **Kawarimi **with the kunai I threw earlier and **Henge **into it as fast as possible. When she cut the wire, I waited until her back was turned to attack her but she spun around and kicked me. Luckily I was about to use **Kawarimi **with a burnt log. I once again pulled out my ninja wire and shurikens except this time I attached the wire to a tree trunk. I let them loose and they traveled in a circular fashion towards Yugao-san. I threw a kunai forcing her to dodge. Once again I used **Kawarimi** to get behind her but she dropped to the ground. I resumed my attack but she she did this awesome maneuver where she flipped her body up and kick me. She pressed her attack which I blocked before pulling out my secret kunai. I threw it at her and she did the crazy matrix thing and dodged. I **Kawarimi **once more and aimed for her unprotected back but she used her cat reflexes to dodge. Which I can see now why you are called Neko, Yugao-san hit my hand and made me drop my wakizashi." Naruto finished speaking.

Hayate and Yugao stood there accessing what they just heard. No Academy student should be able to remember every part of the battle and analyze it, well except for a Nara. They were very impressed with Naruto's intellect both inside and outside of battle. Yugao can see all those pranks were essentially traps that were harmless. The way he hides and executes his traps are those like the ANBU. Heck, he already has the stealth part down!

Hayate then spoke to Naruto. "I might have a style for you but I will have to look it up to be sure. Let's say we meet here once a week for training on Mondays." Naruto nodded and went to retrieve his supplies that he used during the spar.

Yugao then spoke out loud. "I must say he is quite impressive for one so young but he seems over reliant on the **Kawarimi no Jutsu**. Maybe when he learns more jutsus, he'll have more variety."

Hayate shook his head. "I don't think so Yugao-chan, after all he was trained by *cough* **Megami no Kawarimi**." Yugao was shocked on what Hayate just said. The last person Mikoto-san helped train was the prodigy Shisui. She then saw why he used that technique so much. He was probably honoring her in his own way.

***Later at Noon***

Naruto had arrived at Shino's place and called him out. He told Shino that he needed to tell him and Shikamaru something important. Shino's eyebrow quirked up but he agreed to come with him. The duo walked to the Nara Compound in silence. They arrived to see Shikamaru and Shikaku playing shogi. They all exchanged greetings with one another. "Shikamaru I need to talk with you about something important and in private." Naruto said while rubbing the back of his head.

Both Shikaku and Shikamaru eyebrows rose just like Shino's did earlier. '_Does he know about his 'tenant'? Maybe the Hokage told him. Anyway it is too troublesome to get involved.' _Shikaku thought, missing that Shikamaru said they were going to borrow the privacy room.

When the boys were all in the room, Shikamaru activated the privacy seals. "So what do you want to talk about?" the Nara asked his blond friend.

"Well you know how in the books, it says that the Kyuubi was killed by the Yondaime. The truth is that the Kyuubi cannot be killed since it is made out of chakra. The only way to stop the Kyuubi was by sealing it in a newborn baby. The baby will then become a jinchūriki, a human container of the beast. The Yondaime was able to seal the Kyuubi into a baby at the expense of his life." Naruto gulped down his nervousness. He had to tell them the next part.

"So that baby was you, right?" Naruto spun toward Shikamaru and stared wide-eyed. "Judging from your reaction, how the villagers stare at you, the graffiti on the wall at your apartment, and how all the adults seem to know something we don't means I am right. I didn't know the exact reason why but I would have known eventually." Shikamaru shared his logic with the group. Naruto chuckled nervously.

"As expected of you Shika, you really are too smart for your own good sometimes."

"I as well suspected something was going on." Naruto looked to the source of the voice, Shino. "My kikaichu told me that you seemed to have two chakra systems. I now know the reason why for this." Naruto sat there in disbelief; his own friends already sort of knew something about him was different.

"If what you said was true then you are just the prison keeping the prisoner within you. Is the seal secured? Shikamaru asked although he inwardly knew the answer.

"Yeah it is the safest of all of them. The Hokage and Jiraiya of the Sannin told me so." Naruto answered.

"Well if they say so, then we don't have anything to worry about." Shikamaru said while Shino nodded.

"You guys aren't scared of me? You don't believe I'm the Kyuubi in disguise?" Naruto trusted his friends but he just needed reassurance.

"Look Naruto you are a very good friend of ours. You are one of the kindest people I know because you always give people a second chance even when they don't deserve it. If you were actually the Kyuubi in disguise, then you are one friendly demon." Shikamaru smirked.

"As I said once before, you don't discriminate against my clan. You openly listen to us talk about bugs while also engaging in the conversation as well. You are an ally to us and will always be until you say so." Shino chimed in. Naruto grabbed both of them and gave them a big hug.

"I knew I could trust you guys, thank you so much for accepting me. Oh and you can't tell anyone about this because it is an S-Class secret." Naruto said with a huge smile. Shikamaru just muttered a 'troublesome' while Shino answered with silence.

"Naruto and Shino wait here for a second; I also got something to show you." Shikamaru said after he pried himself from Naruto. He then left the room only to come back with a book and handed it to Naruto. Shikamaru then motioned Shino to sit next to Naruto while he sat on the other side.

"When I said I didn't have a present for you, I was only telling you a half-truth. I didn't have your present because it wasn't ready yet." Shikamaru explained. Naruto then opened the book Shikamaru gave him. Inside was a picture of the Shikaku-san, Yoshino-san, Yondaime, and a red haired woman. Shikaku-san was standing next to Yoshino-san while the Yondaime stood next to the red haired woman. The picture had writing that said 'From: The Red Hot Habanero'.

"I accidently saw this picture in one of my family's photo album when I was forced against my will to help clean a few weeks ago. It was tucked in the back so you wouldn't see it if you didn't look carefully. I was curious so I asked my parents about it but they took the picture from me and told me not to worry about. Now I was intrigued so I went to the library and I found out her name. Her name was Uzumaki Kushina and I believe that she is your mother." Before Naruto can comment, Shikamaru continued.

"That was not even the most surprising thing. It said that her son was presumed dead along with her. Now from what you told me, the Hokage hid your identity to keep you safe. If you look at the picture, your mom and the Yondaime seem close. That is because they actually are close. Uzumaki Kushina's husband was Namikaze Minato, in other words the Yondaime was your father."

* * *

><p>[1] We never find out what Ino and Chouji mothers' names were. So I used the name of their voice actors.<p>

[2] Apparently Mikoto means 'words of a ruler' so I thought it was appropriate to name Naruto's wakizashi that.

**Reviews:**

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**Jutsu List:**

**Katon: ****Housenka no Jutsu (Mythical Fire Phoenix Technique) – Rank C**


	4. Chapter 4

A.N.

I got so many responses to this story after the last chapter. I am glad people are reading it and it makes me happy when I read the reviews. I am actually four away from reaching 100 followers! Not bad if I said so myself. Regarding Naruto canon jutsus, I am open to suggestions for replacements. That doesn't mean I would use them since I have a certain direction I want to go with this story.

Regarding guest reviews, if you vote under a guess account, I will not count them. My reason is because you could be the same person and I wouldn't know the difference. If you want to vote, please make an account. It is honestly not hard to and you can talk to me by reviews of PMs. Remember that you are able to vote by the poll that is on my profile and by reviews. The voting will end when I post Chapter 6.

Anyways here is Chapter 4 to Master of the Basics.

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><p><strong>Chapter 4: Darkness Be Gone<strong>

Silence engulfed the room as Naruto showed no reaction to the shocking revelation. Shikamaru had his head down on the table while he waited for Naruto's words to break the quietness. Shino initially showed a reaction to the discovery but he schooled his face back to normal. Naruto stared at the picture so hard, it seemed like he was trying to burn it. What was he supposed to say after discovering that his idol was actually his father?

'_This woman was his mother and the Yondaime was his father. Jiji told me that he was going to tell me about them when I was a Chunin because I would be able to protect myself then. How do I know Shika knows what he is talking about?' _Naruto shook his head free of those thoughts. _'Of course he knows what he is talking about. Why did my dad seal the Kyuubi within me? Did he hate me for some reason? Jiji told me that he loved me but what am I supposed to believe.'_

"…ruto. Naruto. I said Naruto!" The jinchūriki was broke from his stupor and looked towards Shikamaru. "Do you want to talk about?" Naruto was unsure of what to do. He obviously trusted his friends after they trusted him even with the Kyuubi in his stomach. "I'll go grab some tea, you want some Shino?" Shikamaru got a nod from the bug user and left the room. Naruto collapsed onto the floor. Too much has been going on the past few weeks.

The Uchiha Massacre, the Kyuubi secret and now the discovery of his parents' identities. He didn't know if he could take it anymore. Shikamaru came back in carrying a tray with tea cups on it. Each boy took a sip from their cups and instantly relaxed. "Thank you for finding out for me Shikamaru. Hokage-Jiji told me that he would tell me their identities when I became a Chunin. I understand since they probably have lots of enemies that would do anything just to kill me but I am honestly glad that I was able to find out sooner." Naruto words came out smoothly with a small smile plastered on his face.

"What do you plan to do with this information Naruto? Would you ask for your inheritance or choose to remain silent?" Shino asked his friend.

"I honestly didn't even think about my inheritance until you mentioned it. I think I will keep silent because as Hokage-Jiji said I am not strong enough to handle most of my parents' enemies. To get to me they would target my closest people. There is no way they are going to attack the Hokage so that means you two." Naruto pointed to his friends.

"This is so troublesome." The Nara voiced his displeasure. Naruto and Shino laughed at Shikamaru. Instantly the pineapple headed boy and the whiskered boy stared at the other boy in the room. '_Oh Kami, the world is going to end! Shino laughed at something!' _Naruto thought.

Noticing the stares, Shino instantly returned to stoic face and stood up. He glared at them from behind his sunglasses. "This doesn't leave this room…ever. Do you two understand?"

Shikamaru and Naruto caught the subtly threat that hanged in the air. "Well you are right about one thing; no information is going to leave this room." Shikamaru said to ease the tension. They all nodded and left the room as sensitive information was not told. Shino returned home for dinner while Naruto was forcibly told to stay for dinner by Yoshino.

***Two months later***

Naruto ducked and weaved through buildings while trying to escape his enemy. Naruto hid in the shadows and pressed his body up against a wall. Quickly catching his breath, he tried to think of an escape plan but his thought process was interrupted. A kunai grazed his cheek and his assailant was directly above him. Naruto fled the scene without looking back. He needed to get to the Hokage Tower to be safe. He ran into the crowd and quickly **Henge **into a civilian.

He casually walked, hoping to lose his pursuer. He headed to the Training Ground 7 hoping that he would be able to shake off his enemy by going an alternative route. When he passed the grounds, ninja wire surrounded him and he was tied up. "Got you Gaki," a devilish smile was on his captor's face. "You almost had me, too bad I'm too awesome to fall for your tricks. Your posture was like a ninja not a civilian."

Naruto cursed his fate as the captor put him over their shoulder and **Shunshin **to the T&I building. He was dragging into a room that was commonly used for torture. He was place on a chair and looked to see two very pissed off men. "Good job on catching Naruto, he is able to escape from even ANBU." Inoichi congratulate the snake mistress on a job well done.

"Like he can escape from me after what he did." Mitarashi Anko smirked.

"Uzumaki," a deep voice that belonged to Morino Ibiki got the blonde's attention. "What were you thinking when you replaced our tools with non-harmful versions?" As you can see, Naruto had decided to prank the place where criminals regularly get interrogated. It took him a week to prepare the tools to accomplish the prank.

"Am I going to be punished?" Naruto asked innocently.

It had been forever since he was last punished for his pranks. "As long as you tell me what I want to know, I won't punish you." Ibiki said. Naruto shrugged and nodded hoping to get out peacefully.

"How did you get in this building undetected and replace our tools?" Inoichi asked the question. "I **Henge **into you Inoichi-san and went around talked about Ino with all of your coworkers. Ino told me that is what you did at work besides interrogating." Inoichi looked away in shame from Ibiki and Anko gazes.

"I then left the building after remembering the layout and where the tools were at. I brought lots of clay and then molded the clay to have the weight and shape of your tools. I painted the clay with a silver color and glazed it over to give it a shine. I snuck back in as one of your coworkers who 'conveniently' got sick with a stomach ache that day. I stole your tools and replaced it with my clay ones and left. I then got caught by this lady a couple hours later. Also I should remind you that you weren't allowed to take me in since you had no evidence to use against me. If I didn't confess to my prank, then you guys would be explaining to the Hokage why you unlawfully captured and interrogated a civilian."

"Why do you believe we didn't find evidence?" Inoichi asked.

"Easy, you didn't call ANBU to bring me." The three interrogators had a huge headache thanks to the blond. No wonder no one attempted to capture him if they were even able to find him.

"Anko untie him so we can get our tools back." Ibiki rubbed his temples to soothe the pain of being outsmarted by a 10 year old.

"No need for that, **Nawanuke no Jutsu (Rope Escape Technique)**." Naruto escaped from his bindings and pulled out a scroll. Sure enough the tools came out of the scroll.

"Gaki, you were able to escape this whole time!?" Anko was bewildered by this kid.

"Of course, you aren't the first one who tried to tie me up. I wanted to see what it would be like to get interrogated by professionals." Naruto said while explaining his reason. Inoichi could honestly see that Naruto was no ordinary 10 year old. "Hey, you never did tell me what happen when you used the clay to injure your so called victims."

Anko decided to answer this question. "I was scaring the wits out of the guy and he was about to spill. I grabbed a senbon intending to stab him in the knee, only for it to bend when it came in contact. Both the victim and I just stared at each other before he began laughing. I quickly knocked him out with a punch and began hearing everyone else was having the same problems." She recapped what happened earlier today. Naruto busted out laughing at their predicament.

"If there is one thing that we can get out of this, is that we can now psychologically scare our prisoners since they won't be able to tell the difference between the real or fakes tools." Ibiki grinned manically for seeing the silver lining in this event. Inoichi and Naruto sweat dropped at Ibiki's happiness.

"Man you guys really know how to scare people." Naruto said and then an idea popped into his head. "Do you think I can help interrogate someone?"

Inoichi was flabbergasted at Naruto's question. "Why do you want to interrogate someone, if I may ask?"

Naruto smirked and then pulled out another scroll, which contained a book 'Shinobi Basics 101'. "This book says that a ninja must always control their emotions out in the field. If you let your emotions get to you, you are more likely to make mistakes. I figured if I can manipulate my opponent's emotions then I have a better chance of winning.

Anko and Ibiki smiled at his logic. The ability to get under someone's skin is quite useful. An enemy can get caught up in your words, actions, and even clothing. This is why Anko dresses so scandalously and teases people. Ibiki had a hardened gaze along with an imposing build that deterred enemies. "Sorry gaki but you have to be part of the division to actually interrogate someone." Anko killed Naruto's chances with that.

"Do you happen to have any books or scrolls regarding the subject? Naruto asked since he wasn't going to interrogate anyone anytime soon.

"I actually think you have the right mindset regarding controlling your emotions but I don't think you should try to manipulate your opponent's emotions. If you accidently misjudge how a person is going to react, then that can mean your death. I have seen people taunt their opponent, only to be dead when their opponent goes off in rage." Inoichi reasoned with the fellow blonde.

"What Inoichi said is right. I think instead you should spend your time observing your opponent. Information is very vital to a ninja because any bit of information can save you from death. Of course not all information is correct so you have to decide which one is real or fake. For example when you look at me, what kind of fighter do you see?" Ibiki asked Naruto.

"To me you are mainly a Ninjutsu expert that also excels in Taijutsu." Naruto answered after looking at Ibiki.

Ibiki smirked at his answer. "I am actually a Genjutsu expert that excels in Ninjutsu." Naruto was perplexed because Ibiki didn't seem the type to use Genjutsu. Ibiki saw that Naruto was slightly confused. "That information is false. I simply wanted to see your reaction. I am really a ninja that excels in Shurikenjutsu, Genjutsu, and Ninjutsu but I am not an expert in any field." Naruto was surprised that he was tricked so easily. This time, Anko decide to chime into the conversation.

"As Ibiki said, information to a ninja is very vital. The only way to counter that information is deception. Deception is the key to luring your opponent into a trap and is more effective than taunting. As a prankster, you know about deception since you used a **Henge** to blend into the crowd. You then took another route knowing that I can't stop you if you are at the Hokage Tower." Naruto realized how he was using deception without realizing it and how it was effective.

"So you are saying that if I look weaker, my opponents are bound to underestimate me. Since they underestimate me, it gives me multiple chances to deal a fatal strike." Naruto realized how effective it really was.

"Since you are a gaki, people are bound to underestimate you. Not to mention you look so freaking innocent." Anko pulled on Naruto's cheeks. Naruto pouted, which made Anko say how cute he looked.

"Thank you for the lesson Ibiki-san, Inoichi-san, and crazy lady. You helped me learn an important lesson today. Since you helped me, I promise that I would never prank T&I Headquarters again, dattebayo."

Inoichi and Ibiki sighed in relief while Anko was saddened. "Aw, that means I can't chase you around town anymore. Oh well, I can always go 'play' with the prisoners and my name is Anko not crazy lady."

Naruto snorted at Anko. "Fine crazy lady, I will 'try' not to call you crazy lady." Anko pulled out a kunai which prompted Naruto to bolt the hell out of there.

"Wait gaki, who told you that you can leave. Come back here!" Anko shouted as she gave chase leaving the two male interrogators by themselves.

"I feel sorry for Naruto, Anko finally found someone to play with." Inoichi said while Ibiki agreed on the sentiment.

***Three weeks later***

Naruto went to Dangoya, the dango shop, for a post training snack. Dangoya was the only shop beside Ichiraku that served Naruto when he was not in a **Henge**. "Naruto-kun what are you doing here?" A voice alerted Naruto of its presence.

"Yugao-nee, I decided to take a break and eat some dango. What are you doing here? Is it another date with Hayate-sensei? Naruto asked the ANBU woman.

It has been almost three months since Naruto was under the tutelage of Hayate. They decided on a style called **Kage no Sasayaki Ryu (Shadow Whisper Style) **that complemented Naruto's stealth and mastery in the **Kawarimi**,** Henge**, and **Kakuremino no Jutsu (Cloak of Invisibility Technique)**.The style's goal was to attack at the opponent's blind spots from different directions before hiding again. It was similar to Hayate's and Yugao's **Konoha Ryu (Leaf Style)** that used distractions and illusions to attack the opponent.

The one flaw it had was the fact it was not as effective in an open area with no places for Naruto to hide. A straight up fight would be a major disadvantage for Naruto. This was why Hayate focused on increasing Naruto's speed, acceleration, and his drawing speed. Speed was used to catch up or flee from his enemy. Acceleration was for when he was ready to attack and had to close the distance. Drawing speed was in case an enemy was able to surprise him; he would be able to draw out his wakizashi to defend.

Naruto was also trying to invent a new style that can be used if he did have to fight his opponent straight on with help from Yugao, Hayate, and Tenten. They tried experimenting with other styles but Naruto said that his attacks didn't seem to flow right. So they were met with no success on that front. They decided to delay it for another time since Hayate told him to master **Kage no Sasayaki Ryu **before trying other styles.

He was also able to find out Hayate's and Yugao's past. Apparently before Yugao can join ANBU, she needed to learn how to use a sword. The Hokage recommended Hayate due to his expertise with the blade. After spending time training together, Yugao and Hayate fell in love with one another. All three of them became closer since they see each other at least once a week. They treated Naruto like a little brother and he respected them as older siblings.

"Yugao what is taking you so long?" A feminine voice called out to Yugao. Yugao grabbed Naruto and pulled him to the booth where the voice originated.

"Kurenai, meet my little brother Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto tried to escape the hold to get to his dango that he left.

"Nice to meet you, Yugao-nee's friend, but I want to go back to eating my food." Then as if Kami was cursing him, Anko walked into the establishment.\'_Shit how the heck does she keep finding me?' _Naruto cursed his bad luck.

Anko saw Kurenai from the corner of her eye. "Hey Kure-chan!" The snake summoner shouted ignoring the fact she disturbed everyone's peace. She walked over to the table. "Who are y- I found you gaki! You can never escape from me!" Anko was ready to attack Naruto. Naruto was feeling fear so he did his ultimate jutsu to Yugao. He activated his trump card **Koinu no Me no Jutsu (Puppy Eyes Technique)**!

"Yugao-nee, this crazy snake lady has been stalking me all across town. Every time I run away, she always seems to find me. Can you protect me?" Naruto whimpered out the words as he hugged her. Anko would constantly chase after him with snakes which changed her name to crazy snake lady. Yugao eyes instantly 'Aww' at her little brother and then she placed him behind her in the booth.

An instant later, Yugao's katana was pressed against Anko's neck. "Anko you have until the count of five to explain yourself." Anko gulped at Yugao's killing intent.

"Listen Yugao that gaki pranked our department this one time and I was tasked to bring him in." Yugao's blade slackened, much to Anko's relief.

"But Yugao-nee I already went and apologized but as soon as I was leaving, she started to chase after me for no reason. She has been chasing me since." Naruto whined to Yugao but inside he was snickering. Anko's expression was in disbelief. _'This gaki is freaking acting yet no one else knows. You win this round but I am so going to get you back for this.' _Before Yugao can press Anko for answers, the earth shuck under their feet.

"What in the world was that?" Anko asked anyone who might have had an idea. An ANBU came from out of nowhere and stood next to Yugao.

"Uzumaki-san, the Hokage requests your appearance. It is of the upmost importance." Not one to ask questions, Naruto dashed out of the restaurant and made his way to the Hokage Tower.

"So you were on duty to watch over Naruto today, Tenzo." Yugao spoke to the brown haired operative."Well can you explain to me to why you are still here when Naruto already left?" Tenzo flinched before **Shunshin **away from her. Yugao sighed before sitting at the booth with Anko and Kurenai.

"Why do you have ANBU watching over your little brother?" Kurenai asked since it seemed a little overprotective of Yugao.

"It was originally a volunteer duty because of his status." Yugao whispered to Kurenai.

Kurenai was confused at Yugao's word when it clicked. That was the little boy who contained the Kyuubi! "I didn't even recognize him since he didn't have that orange monstrosity." Yugao stuck her tongue out in disgust as she remembered the horrible thing.

"He lost that thing like over a year ago. Where have you been?" Anko snickered at Yugao's disbelief.

"Don't blame Kure-chan; she has to keep up the persona of 'Ice Queen of Konoha' so she usually just ignores everything." Anko laughed louder this time.

Kurenai groaned at the title. "I hate that name. I don't understand why people call me that, I am a nice person and I don't ignore everything."

Anko held up three fingers at Kurenai. "One, you have rejected every single male advances. Two, you glare at anyone who does anything remotely perverted. Three, you never smile when you are out in the town."

Kurenai fumed at her reasoning. "It is not my fault that all men are perverts that just want to into my pants. I hate perverts." Many men around the elemental nations sneezed at that comment. "Anyway we are getting off track; you said that it was a volunteer duty. Does that mean it is not anymore?" Kurenai wanted to know why a kid has someone watching him even if he was 'special'.

"He was always pranking people around the village but someone would always catch him. That all changed when he threw away his orange jumpsuit and wore shinobi clothes. Ever since then he has been undetectable and were pulling pranks without ever getting caught. The only thing worse was the fact that whenever he pulled a prank, there would be no evidence left behind. Without evidence, he could not be accused of any accusations. The people in ANBU, me included, didn't believe that he was untraceable. We believed that the Chunin and Jonin were getting lax or that everything was just a rumor. That was until he pranked the ANBU Headquarters." Kurenai didn't believe in Yugao's story.

"The ANBU Headquarters is supposed to have the tightest defense in all of Konoha. It is impossible to get in and out, plus not to mention that other than ANBU, no one knows where it is located." Kurenai still doesn't where the place existed.

"It 'was' impossible but Naruto found it somehow and he was able to prank us without being detected. He poured itch powder down all of our ANBU and training clothing. For good measure, he replaced the detergent with water that had itch powder in it. Our masks were hidden in different areas and when we found the mask, it was usually booby trapped. Some had bright colored paint sprayed all over them with glitter sprinkled in while others had syrup dumped on them and were covered with we told Hokage-sama he just chuckled at our misfortune but we were punished for allowing a single civilian to come in and out of headquarters without us noticing. Each of the members was given gate duty for 24 hours without pay. Izumo and Kotetsu were beyond happy to be relieved of their duties. After that fiasco, the volunteer duty now became a mandatory duty for all members. Despite someone constantly having an eye on him, he always seemed to be able to escape." Yugao finished as she remembered the gate duty.

Kurenai was unsure of what to say. "And this kid, that was able to hide from highly trained ANBU, is somehow still an academy student."

Yugao smiled at Kurenai. "He is currently in the bottom four of his graduating class." This shocked Kurenai and Anko, who almost choked on a piece of dango that she ordered earlier.

"How is that possible? I would expect him to be near the top of the class." Anko said after drinking some sake to soothe the pain of almost choking to death.

Yugao just smirked at the girls' reactions. "He was actually in the middle of his class before he suddenly plummeted. When I asked him the reason, he said that before you can fool your enemies you have to fool your allies."

Anko grinned brightly "I, the great Mitarashi Anko, taught him that deception was vital to a ninja and he obviously took it to heart." She puffed out her chest proudly even though Ibiki and Inoichi also advised him. Ignoring Anko, Yugao continued why Naruto hasn't graduated yet to Kurenai.

"It is true that he has ANBU level stealth, trapping, and probably espionage skills. He has high intelligence and his creativity makes him a tricky opponent. His stamina is at a low Chunin level at the moment. He has a great mastery over the **Kawarimi, Henge, Kakuremino, **and **Nawanuke no Jutsu. **He is also a level two Fuinjutsu master and he will most likely be level three in a couple of months. That is where the praise ends other physical abilities, besides stamina, are still that of an academy student. It will be probably be until he graduates before he catches up to his classmates after all those years of solely eating ramen. His Genjutsu and Taijutsu are non-existent at the moment. He only recently has been receiving Kenjutsu training from Hayate and sometime me. He is still unable to do the **Bunshin no Jutsu**, which is a requirement to pass the Genin exams." Yugao wrapped up her in depth analysis on Naruto.

"I felt like I was the Hokage for a moment because you were telling me his abilities like it was a report." Kurenai laughed softly before pondered on something Yugao said. "Do you think the reason he can't do the **Bunshin no Jutsu **because of his 'condition'? It only requires only a small amount of chakra after all." The Genjutsu mistress asked.

Yugao sighed in her seat. "Hayate and I deduced that when we started training him. We told him there were elemental bunshin that he can learn but he refused."

This time Anko spoke up after remaining silent for most of the conversation. "Why did the gaki refuse? If I was him I would train with the elemental bunshin before I fail to graduate."

Yugao's expression turned solemn. "It was because of a promise with his former teacher. He promised her that he would master lower rank jutsus before going for higher ranked jutsus. He told me that he would rather master a low rank jutsu to use it at full power rather than use a high rank jutsu at half the power."

Kurenai could see the reasoning behind it but he was being doing more harm than good. Anko frowned at the former teacher part since she didn't have fond memories of a certain snake. "Who was his former teacher that he respected her so much?"

"It was the late Mikoto-sama." Yugao said before wondering if she had the right to talk about Naruto's past with her friends. Kurenai was shocked and saw why the blond persisted with the **Bunshin no Jutsu**. If he gave up, it would be like breaking one of the bonds he had left of her.

The booth was silent even though the rest of the store was loud and rowdy. "Please don't tell this to anyone. I shouldn't have told you without asking Naruto for permission." Yugao pleaded to her friends.

They nodded at the request. "If it helps, why not tell him to try to make as much **Bunshin **as possible instead of the required three? It will be easier since he won't be limited to the amount of chakra he uses." Kurenai suggested. Yugao nodded and said that she will tell Naruto the next time she saw him. The three ladies continue to talk about different topics well into the night.

***With Naruto when he left Dangoya***

As Naruto arrived at the building, he was greeted with craters on the floors and walls. There was ANBU on the floor knocked out while the secretary was shriveling in her chair. He raced past her, hoping his Jiji was safe from the enemy. He busted open the door to see Jiraiya and Hiruzen holding down a blond lady while another lady holding a pig was off to the side. "Hokage-sama, are you alright?" Naruto asked even though he could see the situation.

"Oh yes I am fine Naruto-kun please come in and close the door." The Hokage smiled at Naruto's formal way of addressing him. Naruto did as told and watched as the two men got off the blonde. She slowly walked over to Naruto to make sure she wouldn't scare him. She stared at Naruto with eyes of remembrance and happiness?

_'Why is this lady happy to see me? Only Jiji gives me that look when I visit and that is because I distract him from dreaded paperwork.' _"Are you the enemy?" Naruto asked. _'If this person was the one who knocked out the ANBU, she is seriously strong. It doesn't hurt to be cautious even though the Hokage and one of the Sannin are here.'  
><em>His thoughts concluded.

"Naruto, I want you to listen to me. This person here is Tsunade of the Sannin and also your godmother. Before you get mad at her, she didn't know you existed until today. Jiraiya and I hid the truth from her because she was not in the right mindset to care for you." Hiruzen said while nursing his bruises he got from Tsunade.

"You didn't know I existed?" Naruto asked calmly.

Tsunade shook her head no. "You were presumed dead along with your parents so I figured you died since my sensei would have told me if you were alive. I thought he would have told me at least." She scoffed out the last sentence. She came to him and sat down on the floor in front of him. "Anyways I should introduce myself; my name is Senju Tsunade, one of the three legendary Sannin and the last of the Senju clan. I pride myself as the best medic in the entire world. I like to gamble and drink sake, now your turn."

Naruto sat down as well on the floor. "Hello my name is Uzumaki Naruto, the village pariah and one of the few Uzumaki in the world. I pride myself in working hard and keeping my promises. I like to pull off pranks, train, and reading books." Naruto started out softly but grew louder as he finished. This time the other lady sat down next to his godmother.

"Hello Naruto-kun, my name is Shizune and this pig here is Tonton. I pride myself in being Tsunade-sama's apprentice and I enjoy visiting historical landmarks and playing with Tonton. I hope I didn't interrupt but I wanted to introduce myself as well." Shizune said while smiling.

"It is fine, I was wondering who you were anyway Shizune-san." Naruto confessed to the black haired medic.

"Please don't call me san it makes me feel older than I actually am." Shizune told the blonde

"What shall I call you then?" Naruto asked which made Shizune put a finger to her lips in thought.

"How about Shizune-neechan then, I always wanted a little brother." Shizune remarked.

Naruto's smile increased. "Hai Shizune-neechan, what should I call you daibo (godmother)?" He said while addressing Tsunade.

"Hmm, how about calling me Tsunade-chan?" She said which made Naruto look at her weird.

"Aren't you like as old as Jiraiya? So how come you look so young?" Naruto stared at her, looking for anything that might give him an answer.

Tsunade smirked at the younger blonde's question. "This here is an advance form of **Henge** along with a Genjutsu." Naruto wondered if he could do such a thing one day but decide to focus on his honing his own skills first. He still to find a way to make the **Bunshin**.

"Can't I just call you Tsunade-baachan since it is will be easier for me?" Tsunade bonked his head but nodded nonetheless to appease her godson. The three continue to chat ignoring the two other men in the room.

"Looks like we are being ignored sensei." Jiraiya told the old man.

Hiruzen smiled at the scene in his office. "It is fine, I like seeing all of them happy." J

iraiya wished he was part of that group but he knew that Naruto didn't forgive him yet. "Did you hear his introduction as one of the last Uzumaki? Do you think he knows about his parents?" Hiruzen whispered to his student.

"Nah, he probably read about his clan in some book." Jiraiya presumed.

"Sorry to interrupt Naruto-kun but can you take Shizune on a tour around the village? I need to talk to Tsunade about something." Hiruzen asked the young jinchūriki. Naruto noticed that it must have been important so he got up to leave with Shizune. He was stopped when Tsunade hugged him. _'He looks like a mini-Minato but he seems to have the personalities of both his parents' _Tsunade thought as a few tears developed. She quickly wiped them away.

He hugged Tsunade back before waving his goodbyes and left along with Shizune and Tonton. As soon as they left Hiruzen ordered an ANBU to take his comrades to the hospital. "I really don't want to talk to you right now sensei. I am tired and need some rest." Tsunade complained to the Sandaime.

"Tsunade I need you to stay because it is of real importance. I would not have called you back like this if it wasn't. I also intend to keep my promise regarding the medical program and your debts but that talk is for another day. ANBU please summon Inu and Tenzo to my office immediately and I want the entryway to be cleaned up." The ANBU nodded before he went to perform his duties. 10 seconds later, Inu and Tenzo appeared in the room.

"You called Hokage-sama?" asked the ANBU with gravity bending silver hair. Hiruzen nodded to Inu and then to Jiraiya. The toad sage glanced around the room before activating his privacy seals.

"The reason I called all of you is that my spies in Root has informed me that Danzo is meeting with Orochimaru early tomorrow in his underground base." Shock could be seen on Jiraiya's and Tsunade's faces. Inu and Tenzo was also surprised at the news but their masks covered their expressions.

"Sensei, do you know why they are meeting up and how were you able to get a spy in Root? Danzo has everybody in his control because of the cursed seal on their tongues. If anyone with the seal were to try to reveal Root's secrets or Danzo's involvement, they would die." Jiraiya had tried to find a way to negate the seal, but the men would dies before he had the time to study it.

Hiruzen chuckled at his student's confusion. "You are right that a person with the seal cannot say anything, but what if someone was able to transfer his mind into a body without the seal?" Sudden realization struck as the people in the room figured it out.

"Of course a Yamanaka would be able to divulge the information to you while also being able to spy on Danzo." Jiraiya couldn't believe he didn't realize such a simple bypass to the curse seal.

"Regardless, the reason that they are meeting up is still unknown for now. The reason I called you here is that we will kill Danzo and Orochimaru for treason against Konohagakure. I will handle Danzo while Jiraiya will take on Orochimaru. Tenzo you will lead us to the base and help direct us to Danzo. You will then pair up with Inu to take down any Root members. I would have liked for you to spare them since they were simply following orders but I know they would come at you with the intent to would retaliate in kind because I do not want you to die because of me giving you an order not to kill. Tsunade you will stay here and get the hospital ready for us. During that time you will also be acting Hokage should something happen to me." Hiruzen explained his plan to the group.

"Why am I being forced to stay while you go off to battle? Sensei I am not a little girl that needs to be protected, I am one of the Sannin." Tsunade didn't like the idea of them going in without a medic.

"Tsunade you are right in saying you are very strong but how long has it been since you actually fought or trained for that matter? A body deteriorates when we do not train it, as a medic you know that. I have been training for over three months to get back in fighting shape and I know Danzo has always remained in shape even after the war. Orochimaru and Jiraiya constantly hone their bodies even during their travels around the elemental nations. Let us not forget that you have a fear of blood since the end of the war. As much as of a help you can be, you can quickly become a liability as we would be forced to protect you the moment you caught sight of blood. You might think I am being cruel to you but you must face the facts. I want to correct my mistakes while not making any new ones. I am not going to my death; I still have to see my grandsons become ninjas before I can pass away happily." Hiruzen showed his grandfather smile which instantly relaxed the people in the room.

"Alright sensei I understand you reasoning." Tsunade was unhappy but understood that she could be a problem out in the field. "I would just want you guys to come back safe. As long as you come back, then I would do whatever it takes to heal you." The medic smiled which caused the men to be reassured that they would be under the care of the best medic in the world.

"Get your supplies ready and meet up at my estate in one hour. We would plan out our attack and rest before heading off to Root headquarters." Hiruzen order the men to did exactly that as they quickly left to pack their tools. This fight would be extremely difficult even with the element of surprise. Now Hiruzen had to wait for the day to end. When the sun comes up tomorrow, he would make sure that his former rival would be dead.

***Next day, Early Morning Hours***

Four figures made their way towards Training Ground 44 or by its more popular name, Forest of Death. Everyone was in their typical battle outfits while Hiruzen had on his old Shinobi outfit. Tenzo led them to one of the many entrances into Root. Tenzo removed the Genjutsu that covered the ground to reveal a latch. Jiraiya checked for any seals while Inu checked for traps. After disabling any they could find, they made their way into the headquarters and navigated through the tunnels.

They arrived to a clearing which was where Shimura Danzo stood. "What a surprise to see the Hokage here. How are you on this nice night Hiruzen?" _'No wonder why that snake left so quickly.'_ Danzo asked but was frowning that his rival was in his secret base.

"Shimura Danzo based on reports of child kidnapping and associating with a known traitor, you are hereby sentence to death. This sentence would be effective immediately." Hiruzen got into his battle stance.

Soon 100 Root ANBU surrounded the intruders. "Deal with the tagalongs; I will personally deal with the Hokage." Danzo ordered.

"Jiraiya go after Orochimaru while the rest of you stick to the plan." Hiruzen ordered his men as well. Inu and Tenzo dashed back to the entrance to get to another clearing while Jiraiya pursued after Orochimaru and disappeared before the Root ANBU could catch the toad sage. The members went after Inu and Tenzo, leaving the two war veterans alone.

**-Inu and Tenzo vs 100 Root ANBU-**

Inu and Tenzo raced back to the entrance and activated the exploding tags that they placed as they fled. Soon bombs went off and the tunnel collapsed onto itself. All the Root members survived and quickly surrounded the two intruders. "**Mokuton: ****Ki Eda no Jutsu (Wood Release: Tree Limb Technique).**"Tenzo sprouted tree limbs hoping to capture or impale the Root members. 25 members fired off a specific fire jutsu. "**Katon: Endan (Fire Release: Fireball)**."They shouted in synchronize as their fired off the jutsu.

The jutsus merged together forming one huge fireball. "**Suiton: Suijinheki (Water Release: Water Encampment Wall)**." Inu's jutsu surrounded the duo and was barely able to withstand the attack. They then heard a roar and turn around to see a **Doryuudan (Earth Dragon Projectile) **coming at them. Inu and Tenzo was able to successfully dodge the attacks. They were entirely on the defensive and the enemy was not letting up.

**Raiton: Jibachi (****Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder****)**." Bolts of electricity came from every direction and both Inu and Tenzo did not have enough time to form seals for a jutsu.

"**Mushi Kame no Jutsu (Insect Jar Technique).**" Insects surrounded the two ANBU and protected them from danger. After the technique died down, two young Root members stood next to Inu and Tenzo.

"It took you two long enough." Inu said rather lazily even though he was still surrounded.

"It was rather difficult to apply my rinkaichu when everyone is moving around. However, you were able to buy enough time for me to infect everyone." A stoic voice answered Inu. As if a puppet with its strings cut, the other members of Root fell to the floor in agony. Many twitched their bodies before finally succumbing to the poison and ceased to exist.

The young Root members took off their masks to reveal Yamanaka Fu and Aburame Torune. Torune soon fell to one knee from chakra exhaustion. "When the Hokage told us about the spies, I never expected you to be so young." Tenzo voiced his opinion.

"When we were asked to join Root by Danzo's request, the Hokage gave us an espionage mission to discreetly spy on Danzo. Our abilities made it easy to access Root's secrets." Fu explained.

Torune stood upright and steadied his breathing. "Even the most secure places, have insects within them. That includes this place as well. I am able to talk to other insects and was able to spy on Danzo even though I am not a senior member. Fu would then proceed to enter my mind with his clan techniques. When we went on missions, Fu would go into the mind of a random person and relay the information to Hokage-sama."

"Good job you two but you have new orders from Hokage-sama. You would lead me to where the kidnapped kids are located. You would then flee with them and be treated at the hospital. This was originally Tenzo's orders but that changed when we collapsed the tunnel. Tenzo go assist Hokage-sama immediately." Inu relayed his orders. Tenzo merged into the ground and quickly disappeared from the others.

"Follow me Inu-san." Fu said and soon the trio left the bodies of 98 dead Root ANBU.

**-Hiruzen vs Danzo-**

"Hiruzen it seems you have grown a backbone after all these years. I have to ask, what brought about this sudden change?" Danzo spoke calmly.

"I changed when you ordered the Uchiha Massacre despite my wishes. Now enough talk, today I shall bring your life to an end." Hiruzen spat out before he threw a five shurikens. "**Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**." Instantly the five shurikens multiplied to twenty-five and flew towards Danzo.

"**Fuuton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)**." Danzo released a current of wind that blasted the shurikens aside.

Hiruzen hoping to capitalize on the wind jutsu released a fire jutsu. "**Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique)**." The stream of fire grew in size due to the wind jutsu. Danzo was barely able to escape to his left but the jutsu was able to burn the bandages on the right side of his face. There in Danzo's right eye socket was the Sharingan.

"Danzo how in the hell do you have the Sharingan? Who did you kill to steal that?" Hiruzen was furious on how low his one-time teammate would go for power. Hiruzen's mind then came to a conclusion. Danzo interrupted Hiruzen.

"I acquired this eye before the Uchiha Massacre. It was from a very powerful shinobi, too bad he escaped before I can take his other eye." Hiruzen eyes widen in realization.

"Danzo you scum, what made you this power hungry? I thought you loved the Leaf more than anyone yet you took an eye of one of our shinobi." Hiruzen was sicken by the man.

Danzo laughed at Hiruzen. The laughter soon became manically and then it stopped."I love Konohagakure but I believe we belong at the top. Your pacifist ideals make the other hidden villages look at us like we are weak. That was why I should be Hokage because under my direction, Konoha would rise over those pathetic weaklings."

"That does not justify your actions. We are Konoha shinobi who bear the Will of Fire. Our job is to mentor the next generation to someday replace ours, not for them to be used as tools." Hiruzen was beyond disgusting by this human, no this demon.

"Ninjas are tools that are meant to be used by their superiors. What is wrong with me using the tools to make me stronger? If I am stronger then Konoha is stronger, it is as simple as that." Danzo said as if it was the most obvious thing.

The conversation ended with that as both men went through hand seals. Danzo finished first and released his jutsu. **Fuuton: Shinkuuha (Wind Release: Vacuum Wave)**." Danzo release arcs of cutting wind at Hiruzen's location.

Hiruzen slammed his foot into the ground. "**Doton: Doryuu Heki (Earth Release: Earth Style Wall)**." A slab of rock rose in front of Hiruzen. The rock wall was overwhelmed by the wind attack and was sliced to pieces.

This however gave Hiruzen enough time to dodge and slam his palm onto the ground. "**Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)**." Out of the smoke came Hiruzen's summon, King Enma. Not to be outdone, Danzo summoned his own summoning animal. A giant Baku rose from the smoke. "Let's us go Enma, **Henge: Kongōnyoi** **(Transformation: Adamantine Staff)**." King Enma changed into a black staff and was placed in Hiruzen's hands.

Hiruzen charged and swung his staff at a variety of angles. Danzo was able to dodge due to the Sharingan's abilities. Eventually the Sandaime relentless assault was able to hit Danzo across the neck, making it snap. Danzo turned to smoke and was replaced by a piece of rock from Hiruzen's Doryuu Heki. _'He __**Kawarimi **__at the last possible second to replace himself with my jutsu. So that means he is currently behind me.'_ Danzo's summoning animal began sucking in the air. Hiruzen was placed between Danzo and his summon. "**Fuuton: Shinkuu Renpa (Wind Release: Vacuum Successive Waves)**." Blades of wind were aimed at Hiruzen.

"Shit!" The Hokage cursed at his predicament but he was able to escape thanks to King Enma's quick thinking. The staff grew arms and threw Hiruzen's body into the air. Hiruzen then initiated his own attack. "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**." Two solid clones appeared midair beside the caster. The first clone began his attack and was followed by the second. "**Suiton: Hahonryu (Water Release: Tearing Torrent)**." "**Raiton: Gian (Lightning Release: False Darkness)**." The first clone released a huge torrent of water from his hand while the second fired a lightning bolt from its mouth at the torrent.

Danzo stopped his attack and tried to dodge when tree limbs restrained him. **Mokuton: Mokusatsu Shibari no Jutsu (Wood Release: Smothering Binding Technique)**." A voice came from under the ground. Unable to escape, Danzo met the attack head on. The attack tore Danzo's body into shreds. The two Bunshins and Danzo's Baku puffed out of existence and Hiruzen landed. Just as he landed a kunai pierced his heart.

There stood an exhausted Danzo with his Sharingan eye turned white. Just as Danzo smiled at his victory over his rival, he was struck through the chest. A staff had gone through him and the Hiruzen in front of him began to turn to wood revealing a **Moku Bunshin (Wood Clone)**. _'__Kinoe!' _[1] Hiruzen pulled out the staff and Danzo fell to the ground. His life flickered in his eyes and he was too weak to move.

There was no monologue or rant on being Hokage. His dream on making Konohagakure stand above the other villages was gone. His quest was ultimately ended by the same man who took the Hokage seat from him. His eyes closed and the life of **Shinobi no Yami (The Darkness of the Shinobi) **was over. However unknown to everyone, he gave Orochimaru a single order using **Kotoamatsukami, **the Uchiha's strongest Genjutsu. The order was simple: Invade Konohagakure and kill Sarutobi Hiruzen.

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><p>[1] Kinoe was Yamato's name when he was in Root.<p>

**Reviews:**

**Santa1 – **Sorry to hear you don't like harem. I do hope that you will still give this story a try though.

**Dark Neko 4000** – I hope his reaction was to your satisfaction.

**NinjaFang1331 – **Thank you sir! I hope I was able to portray it as such. After all Mikoto was a big part in his short life.

**Tarantul **– Sorry, you can't vote for Karin. She will play a different role in this story. You can vote for someone else though.

**emilbootanimefreak – **He will not have the Shadow Clones since it is a B-rank Jutsu. I have an idea how on how to replace it…kind of (elemental clones).

**Sakusha Saelbu **– Thanks for the review, I hope I kept your interest with this chapter.

**skg1991 – **Thanks for the help and I just reedited.

**jhawk046** – Thanks for the review. Glad you think it as that good so far.

**Ryuujin96 –** WOW! Thanks for the super long review. I plan for him to have more skills in kenjutsu to compensate for the lack of Ninjutsu. Taijutsu is drawing a blank for me at the moment. I am definitely open to suggestions regarding replacements for any of his canon jutsus. Yes my I intended for Naruto to use elemental clones now instead of Shadow Clones. Summoning Jutsu will appear more in this story since it can help greatly. I am not sure about the power levels yet because I am already on Chapter 4 and I still haven't graduated Naruto yet. That will be for the future. About the higher rank jutsus, I am still trying to find a way for Naruto not to learn them. He is not getting another wakizashi because of something I am doing with Haku.

**Goodfella96 – **No? Yes? Honestly I don't really know but Madara and Kaguya are a long ways from now unless I do a MASSIVE time skip.

**sparrowhawk13 **– Yeah! Shino and Shikamaru are my favorites of the rookie 9 excluding Naruto. I like to read stories with character progression so I want my story to have it too. Thanks for reading!

**gual1 – **Hope you enjoyed reading his reaction, byes

I probably won't do a jutsu list anymore since I am pretty sure you guys know what they are. It will come back when I use an original jutsu of either mine or one of the readers.


	5. Chapter 5

A.N.

I recently moved to Dallas and it has been a hectic week. Then when I try to publish my story, I can't log in to . I will try to release a chapter in 3-5 days but it is not guaranteed a chapter will be released so soon. I changed the rating of this story from a T to M because of language. I am also taking jutsu suggestions but they can't be overpowered. Just give me a description and I will see if I can use it. Now the voting for the harem will be closed in 3 days so vote if you hadn't already. I won't explain how the voting works since I think you would know by now. Here are the results as of today:

Tenten Higarashi – 22 votes  
>Anko Mitarashi – 13 votes<br>Fu – 13 votes  
>Kin Tsuchi – 9 votes<br>Samui – 9 votes  
>Yugito – 9 votes<br>Konan – 7 votes  
>Hana Inuzuka – 6 votes<br>Kurotsuchi – 6 votes  
>Mabui – 6 votes<br>Mei Terumi – 5 votes  
>Karui – 1 vote<p>

As you can see Tenten is first place by a wide margin. The only way she is out of the harem if everyone plots against her. Anko and Fu are tied for second so they are both in if the results stay the same. For the person who voted for Karui, I am sorry but her chances are pretty much diminished.

I would like to thank everyone because not only did I pass the century mark for follows but also favorites! This is the longest chapter I have ever written and I hope I was able to keep up the quality. This is my thanks to you all for reading my story. This chapter also finishes up the introductory before we move on to Konohamaru and Wave. That means Haku would make her long awaited appearance (for me anyway). I hope you enjoy this chapter.

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: Reassessment of Fate<strong>

***A month later***

Hiruzen sat in his chair and replayed what had happened in the past month. He was hospitalized for one week as a precaution for minor injuries and chakra exhaustion. The defeat of Danzo caused quite a few of events to occur. His body was burned after he had been announced as a traitor to the village. Most didn't believe that such an esteemed elder could be a traitor but when evidence of him working with Orochimaru came into light, there was no protest to the burning.

Jiraiya was unable to track Orochimaru's slippery trail that seemed to disappear into thin air. Unable to find him in the darkness, Jiraiya went back and reported to Hiruzen. Hiruzen ordered a widespread search of possible tunnels or caves that could lead out of the village. The ninjas were able to find several labs but none of them led outside the village. Jiraiya then left the village hoping that his spy network found where the snake was located.

Danzo's Root was kept in operation but this time under the guidance of Tenzo, who was named Root Commander. All Root ninjas that were loyal to Danzo were met with death for treason. The others surrendered and were admitted into T&I. Documents regarding Root's activities were collected for Hiruzen to review. It was amazing that Danzo put all of his plans and dealings on paper. Some of the stuff this man was doing was frightening. It clearly showed how much he strayed from the right path.

His involvement with Hanzo the Salamander to quell Amegakure's rebellion forces in hoping Hanzo would help him invade Konoha so Danzo could be Hokage. He gathered young children to be put in his program. He would even kill some parents if their kid had potential to be of use as a weapon. He attempted to kill Shisui to steal his Sharingan and he was able to steal an eye before Shisui was able to escape. That explains why Shisui attempted suicide. He even made children kill each other to get rid of their so called useless emotions.

Danzo's plans even mention how the elders and some civilian council members were persuaded to join Danzo's side. This caused Hiruzen to strip those council members of their seats on the council and placed in T&I for questioning. Koharu and Homura were asked to retire because if the villagers knew that the three elders were involved in traitorous actions, the villagers wouldn't trust the higher ups.

The two ex-elders regretfully retired from their posts and Hiruzen were forced to select new elders. He decided on his two loyal students: Jiraiya and Tsunade. Jiraiya would only be available for council meetings if it was deemed important. Tsunade was chosen because Hiruzen wanted to groom her to be the next Hokage, not that she knew that. Although he didn't want to remain Hokage, he knew he had to teach Tsunade everything that was needed to become Hokage before he retired.

The younger kids in Root were taken into an orphanage and were adopted by the villagers. Two of the kids requested to live with each other instead of with a guardian. Hiruzen didn't like the idea of having kids live by themselves. He was going to dismiss the request when his surrogate grandson barged in.

***Flashback Begins***

Naruto had just barged into the Hokage's office when he heard that the old man was hospitalized. "Jiji, are you ok?" Naruto asked ignoring the fact that Hiruzen was with company.

"As you can see Naruto-kun, I am in good health. I wished that you would have knocked because as you can see I have company." Hiruzen said while chuckling at his grandson's antics. Naruto looked at the two boys; the one that was older had blue hair while the younger one had pale skin and black hair.

"Oh sorry about that Jiji, I was just worried about you." Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly in embarrassment. Naruto sat down on the couch so he wouldn't disturb the two guests while he waited. The two guests, seeing that Naruto wasn't leaving, continued the conversation with the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama, can you please allow us to live together?" The blue boy asked hopefully. "I treat Sai like a little brother and I don't wish to be separated from him if one of us gets adopted." The black haired boy nodded his head in agreement.

Hiruzen sighed out loud. He honestly didn't want to separate the two boys but living without an adult is hard for children that were still in the Academy. "I am sorry Shin-kun but it is difficult to live without a caretaker and finding a place to rent you an apartment would be difficult."

Before the boy called Shin could respond, Naruto cut into the conversation. "Jiji they could live in my building since no one else lives there besides me." The two boys looked at Naruto like he was the savior to their problems. Naruto pressed Hiruzen even more. "Plus, they would be on an orphan stipend until they graduate from the Academy, which should be more than enough to live by. I really hope you don't separate family just because they don't have an adult to take care of them. Look at me; I turned out fine even with my 'circumstances'." Naruto stressed the word circumstances to guilt trip the old man.

Naruto's plan indeed worked as work as Hiruzen felt guilty for not taking care of Naruto better. Hiruzen took a puff from his pipe before blowing it out. "Fine you will have your wish." The two boys looked at each other and smiled. "But, you will have to pay for rent like Naruto-kun here and will be required to attend the Academy." Hiruzen smiled as he thought the conditions were too lenient but he didn't feel like facing Naruto's wrath.

***Flashback Ends***

It was later reported that Shin had a serious medical condition. Normal doctors were unable to pinpoint the reason for his disease and a way to cure it. Luckily, Tsunade was not a normal doctor and had seen such a disease in her travels. She was able to cure him successfully and he no longer had to worry about dying from the disease. The medic program Hiruzen had installed at the hospital not only helped the Academy students but the doctors as well.

The doctors were now better equipped to handle more difficult injuries and diseases. The students were taught different medical techniques like how to use a first aid kid. Simple things that could help a ninja out on the field were taught. Tsunade refused to teach medical Ninjutsu to the students because it needed good chakra control and she believed that they needed to be at least Genins for them to be worth her time. Hiruzen agreed as chakra control was something their Jonin sensei was supposed to teach them.

Hiruzen spun his chair around to face the picture of Minato. "I hope I am doing you proud Minato. I am slowly but surely fixing my mistakes and hopefully I can take care of my greatest mistake before I pass on." The evening sun shined on Hiruzen's rock face on the Hokage Monument. Hiruzen smiled as if Minato had asked the heavens to give Hiruzen an answer.

***Two Years Later***

Naruto sat there waiting on the swing as he watched students walk out of the building to their parents with their hitai-ate. Of course, Naruto did not receive his hitai-ate like the others. After all he was taking the Genin exams next year. He was actually waiting for Shin and Tenten to come out. Sai was sitting next to him on his own swing. He had gotten close to his neighbors and they were like a family. Shin was the oldest, Naruto in the middle, and Sai the youngest.

When they first met, Shin was like Naruto in a few ways. Both were hyperactive and loud but Shin was more absent-minded than Naruto was. Shin would sometimes stumble into things because he would be thinking about other stuff. Sai was the quieter and reserved one of the trio. He preferred to draw or read books. Sai was very impressionable because he would take in anything a book would say as advice.

He once read a book on nicknames stating that having nicknames is a sign of friendship. That day he started to call everyone nicknames based on their appearances. Naruto had to stop Sai's frankness because he kept saying mean things unintentionally. Naruto had to give him a book on manners to stop him. Sai apologized but the damage was done as everyone now saw Sasuke's hair as a duck's butt. Strangely enough, Sasuke's fan club seemed to increase after the incident.

Sakura now took out her wrath out on Sai instead of Naruto after Sai called her 'howler monkey'. Only Sai would dodge her attempts and Sakura would hit whatever was near Sai instead. She was called by Iruka after she broke so many chairs in the classroom. Naruto's affections for Sakura decreased due to constantly training. He no longer had the time to ask her on dates as he would hone his skills or pull pranks. After a while, he no longer saw Sakura as anything more than a classmate.

He attributed his liking of Sakura to the fact that he thought Sasuke was his rival. Naruto no longer considered Sasuke a rival because he didn't want to draw attention to himself. Instead he tried to befriend Sasuke multiple times but was shot down with a grunt from the Uchiha. Naruto really wanted to be friends with Sasuke since he sort of understood what it was like to lose your family. Mikoto and Itachi were as much of a family for Sasuke as they were for Naruto.

He eventually gave Sasuke space after Sasuke refused to associate with a loser like Naruto. He got along with his own group of friends. Shikamaru would invite him, and by extension Shin and Sai, to dinner at Nara Compound. Yoshino quickly warmed up to the two boys constantly doted on them like she did with Naruto. At first, they loved the attention since they never had a mother, but before long they understood that Yoshino's affection was… troublesome.

Naruto was now able to beat Shikamaru in a couple of shogi matches. Shin was too impatient for the game and Sai preferred to draw. Naruto felt confident enough to challenge Shikaku, only to be beaten to the ground in a few moves. Shikamaru only smirked as he knew his dad was a difficult opponent. Ino and Chouji would often come over to play at times.

Chouji was quick to open up to Shin and Sai after he saw that Shikamaru was friendly with them. Naruto and Chouji eating contests were going back and forth with Chouji in the lead at the moment. Naruto started to train with Chouji at Shikamaru's request. Shikamaru figured that this generation of Ino-Shika-Cho would likely be placed on the same team. Shikamaru wanted Chouji to get stronger so he would do less work. Naruto knew that Shikamaru just wanted to make sure Chouji could handle himself without his help.

Ino, on the other hand, did not like Sai at all. After Sai called her 'blond howler monkey', she was pissed that she was compared to Sakura. The two girls would constantly fight or scream at Sai much to the annoyance of the class. Sai just ignored them and smirked, Naruto could swear his little brother was sadistic. Ino were on talking terms with Naruto and Shin. She was still the vice president of the ever growing Sasuke fan club though.

Hinata had become more outgoing and was now stuttering less. She started to gain confidence from sparing with Naruto. Naruto finally asked why she constantly stalked him every day. She fainted on the spot as Sai came to get Naruto for dinner. She was nicknamed 'closet pervert' by Sai after the event. Naruto, not hoping to hurt her feelings, told her they were just friends and he planned not to be in a relationship anytime soon. Hinata was hurt but settled with being a friend for now and hoped to get stronger to impress her father and Naruto.

Kiba and Akamaru was a strange case of friendship. Akamaru would actively greet Naruto and his friends and was rather close to Naruto. Kiba, on the other hand, refused to associate with Naruto for some reason. He later found out from Shino that Kiba had a crush on Hinata but she only paid attention to Naruto. Kiba apparently wanted to be friends with Naruto but his pride got in the way most of the time.

Shino was Naruto best friend of the entire group. Although he was great friends with Shikamaru, Shino understood him better. They were both disliked by most of the populace because of what they carried. Naruto was scorned because of the Kyuubi while Shino was stared at with disgust because he carried bugs in his body. The blond would often visit the Aburame and was generally accepted by the clan. Naruto even met Shino's childhood friend Torune, who had recently came back after moving away years ago.

Tenten was Naruto's best female friend along with his first true friend. They would constantly spar and train together. Naruto taught her Fuinjutsu to incorporate with her fighting style while Tenten would work with Naruto on his Kenjutsu. She quickly became friends with Yugao after she found out Yugao also loved weapons, although it was only swords. Tenten was so excited to meet her idol, Tsunade, but was extremely disappointed with the drunkard. Tenten only admired Tsunade's beauty and skills as a kunoichi from then on.

Naruto skills were progressing more and more each day. He had finally done the **Bunshin no Jutsu** after receiving Yugao's advice. He made 70 clones instead of the required 3 and they weren't even deformed. Naruto noticed that he was able to use his other jutsus without hand signs. Yugao told him about chakra memory which was similar to muscle memory. Your body remembers how much chakra is required when you use a certain technique.

Hand signs were a way to make your body learn the jutsu faster and to stabilize the jutsu. Generally only E and some D rank jutsu were used without hand signs since other jutsus packed more power. Naruto asked Yugao if it was possible to make one handed signs for a jutsu. Yugao nodded but stated that you must have amazing chakra control. If you had lousy control, the jutsu would fail to appear.

Naruto had then begun working on the **Leaf Concentration **exersise to increase his chakra control. He was now able to hold three leaves on his body for six hours. To make the exersice more difficult he would run while apply chakra to make the leaves stick together. He had asked Hayate for a more advanced chakra control exercise but Hayate said that those exercises were only available to those who are Genin or above.

Hayate was cured of his coughing problem thanks to Tsunade's medical expertise. It was weird for a while for Naruto and other shinobi to not hear the man cough. Yugao instantly was infatuated with his sensei even more and he did not see them for an entire week. Naruto's training in **Kage no Sasayaki Ryu **was progressing thanks to the help of Hayate and Shizune. Shizune helped him in understanding human anatomy and where pressure points were located.

Using that knowledge, Hayate instructed Naruto on how to strike those and other areas. Thanks to his constant training, Naruto physical abilities were now that most of his classmates. He possessed high Chunin stamina. His strength was near the lower half of his classmates as his skill set didn't rely on strength. He had Genin speed and acceleration which enabled him to dodge or close in on his opponent. He wasn't exactly sure where he stacked up against his classmates since he never went all out.

He was weaker than Shin and slightly stronger than Sai when going at full strength. They told him about the old Root program and Naruto remembered that he was also recruited by Danzo when he was young. They were instructed by Hiruzen to not garner too much attention since their skills were that of a high Genin. Naruto assumed that they might have received scorn by the other villagers because of Danzo.

When Naruto needed Fuinjutsu training, he sought out Jiraiya to talk to him and ask for training. The Hokage told him that Jiraiya left on an important mission. Naruto sighed and wished he would have talked to Jiraiya earlier even if he was a pervert and an ass that left him for 8 years. After all, his father and mother made him a godfather. He must have been important to at least one of them.

Naruto hoped that his Jonin sensei would be able to teach him Taijutsu or even Genjutsu when his chakra control got better. Just as Naruto finished thinking, Shin and Tenten walked out of the building. On their foreheads, were the hitai-ate you received for graduation. The quartet quickly left and went to Tenten house for a celebration for the two new Konoha ninja. Tenten hoped she had a cool sensei and team. Naruto already knew that Shin was going to enlist in the new Root program since they had many comrades there.

The new Root ninjas were trained in espionage and were usually on missions outside the village. This allowed the ANBU to concentrate their forces inside the village. They even served as backup members on difficult missions or when a squad requested reinforcements. Sai had wanted join at the same time as Shin but Shin urged him to spend more time with his friends. Sai nodded but promised to join after he graduated. Naruto decided not to join because he would miss his friends too much when out of the village for a long time.

They all celebrated throughout the night and within a year Naruto would also be a ninja of Konohagakure.

***Ten Months Later***

Naruto was jog around the village in the early morning when he spotted two green silhouettes from a distance. As he got closer he saw two males wearing green spandex walking on their hands. "Look Lee, someone has joined us in running on this youthful morning." The older man beamed to his disciple.

"Yosh, Gai-sensei this person is worthy in becoming my rival." The younger version proclaimed to his sensei.

Lee jumped from his position and landed in front of Naruto, stopping Naruto from moving forward. "Hello my name is Rock Lee; may I have your name?" Lee asked while he held out his hand.

"Uzumaki Naruto, nice to meet you Lee but I need to finish my jog." Naruto shook Lee's hand.

This time Gai stopped Naruto with a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Ah, you must be young Naruto who our Tenten talks about. It seems that you are a hard worker just like she told us."

Before Naruto could say another word, Tenten came running to the group. "Gai-sensei you are late for the team meeting, what are you doing?" Tenten asked when she spotted Naruto. "Naruto what are you doing here?"

Naruto answered with his own question. "These two are part of your team?" He pointed to Guy and Lee before continuing. "I thought you said your sensei and teammates were super cool?"

Gai and Lee smiled brightly, causing Naruto's eyes to flinch in pain. "Did you hear that Lee? Our youthful Tenten told her friend that we were cool. I am one step closer to beating my rival Kakashi in coolness now." Gai shouted out.

"Hai Gai-sensei I think that Tenten was embarrassed by our coolness so she only told her friends." Lee added on.

"LEE"

"GAI-SENSEI"

"LEE"

"GAI-SENSEI"

This image of two men with green spandex hugging each other with tears falling from their eyes was horrifying. Naruto was lucky enough to close his eyes in pain because the **Sunset Genjutsu** came into effect. The early morning goers that saw the scene passed out with foam coming out of their mouth. Tenten only cringed because she has seen the image so many times. "Naruto I hope you understand why I lied to you."

Naruto nodded and placed a hand on her shoulder. His eyes were full of pity and sadness to his friend. "Tenten I am sorry, I don't know how you can deal with them." Naruto tried to console her while giving her a reassuring smile.

Gai ended the Genjutsu with Lee and turned to the Naruto. "Young Naruto-kun how would you like to train with us today?" Gai asked the blond.

"Even though he is weird, Gai-sensei is the best Taijutsu master in Konoha." Tenten told him.

"Sure I was hoping someone could help me with my Taijutsu, it is one of my weak areas." Naruto nodded. The quartet went towards Training Ground 9 where a long black haired boy stood. The training ground was like Training Ground 11 except that it had dummies and was littered with throwing weapons. _'I keep telling Tenten to pick up her weapons after she is done with them but she never listens.' _Naruto thought in his head.

"Guy-sensei I wish you would inform me and Tenten if you were going to be late." The boy said to Guy.

"That was unyouthful of me Neji; I will be here on time next time. IF I AM NOT I WILL RUN A THOUSAND LAPS AROUND KONOHA ON MY HANDS!" Gai announced much to the disdain of most of the people nearby.

"Anyway are we going to train because I have clan matters I must attend to?" Neji asked even though he had no such thing. It was the only possible way to escape the spandex duo. He noticed a blonde standing next to Tenten. "What is he doing here?"

Gai smiled at Neji's question. "This here is Naruto-kun who is Tenten's friend and a youthful person and Naruto-kun that is my other student, Hyuuga Neji." Gai introduced the two.

"Hello my name is Uzumaki Naruto, nice to meet you." Naruto greeted.

Neji frowned and had a look of distaste. "I see you are the boy that is friends with Hinata-sama." Naruto smiled but Neji continued. "No wonder, trash tends to stick together. After all fate dictates that they never amount to anything." Neji said while Naruto was fuming.

"Hey, I don't care what you call me but DON'T call my friends trash." Naruto sent a subtle message.

"I have every right to call you whatever I please. Fate separates the winners from the losers. You are fortunate that a talented kunoichi like Tenten is even friends with you. A loser can only lick the ground of where the winner stands." Neji finished his monologue. Tenten was getting mad at her teammate for downing her friend like that. She wanted to speak but Lee cut her off.

"Neji, in your eyes a loser will always be a loser but with hard work that can change." Lee advised.

Neji smirked at the spandex boy. "Lee, you were the dead last of our graduating class and you are not able to mold chakra yet you still persist to be a ninja. I will admit that I no longer see you as trash as your skills has grown since training with Gai-sensei." Lee grinned at the acknowledgment. Neji would once again down his spirits. "You are now the ground under my feet instead of the trash that rolls around."

Naruto was mad no he was furious! "Gai-sensei, can I spar with your student?" Naruto mind was raging to thrash this disgusting person.

Tenten put a hand on his shoulder. "You might be good for an Academy student Naruto but Neji was the Rookie of the Year. He is arguably the best of our generation."

Naruto shrugged off the hand from his shoulder and looked at Tenten dead in the eye. "Tenten titles like Rookie of the Year do not matter out in the battlefield. I may be weak but I am not as weak as you think."

Naruto turned away from her and stood opposite of Neji. Tenten was stunned by Naruto's words. She always sparred with him with Kenjutsu so she knew how strong he was. Why didn't he understand that she was trying to protect him? Gai approached the two boys and stood in the middle. "Naruto-kun I thank you for being civilized and requesting a spar against my student instead of outright attacking him." Gai bowed in gratitude before standing back up. "This is a spar so they will be no killing blows otherwise everything else is fine. The spar ends when I say so or when your opponent surrenders." Gai explained the rules of the spar.

"This would be your last time to surrender before I pummel you into the ground. Fate dictates that I will emerge as the winner." Neji smirked before getting into his Juken stance. Naruto chose not to comment and simply looked at Neji impassively. The outgoing Naruto was replaced with a serious Naruto. Naruto was analyzing Neji like a book, trying to find a weakness.

Lee waited with anticipation for the spar to start even though he was feeling down from Neji's comments. Tenten sighed in defeat and just hoped the two wouldn't hurt each other too much. Gai raised his hand up and after a tense moment dropped it.

**-Naruto vs Neji-**

Neji and Naruto both stood there waiting for the other to attack. Neji was obviously not taking this seriously as he didn't even activate his Byakugan. Naruto decided to take the initiative and try to capitalize on the fact he was being underestimated. **"Bushin no Jutsu**." In an instant, hundreds of Naruto's filled the training area. "Such a useless technique when faced with '**Byakugan'**." Neji activated his Doujutsu and scanned the area.

However he was unable to find the real Naruto among the crowd. "Hmph, he ran away when he had the chance." Naruto suddenly appeared in front of Neji with his back facing Neji. The only person to see what happened was Gai. After making the bunshins, Naruto used **Kawarimi no Jutsu **to replace himself with one of the shuriken on the ground that was more than 50 feet away. Gai concluded that Naruto had experience with fighting the Byakugan to know some of its limits.

Naruto then applied chakra to his feet and sprinted across to attack Neji. To knock Gai out of his thoughts, Naruto slid his wakizashi back into its sheath. "**Kage no Sasayaki Iai Ryu: Mikadzuki (Shadow Whisper Quick Draw Style: Crescent Moon)**." When the blade hit the hilt, blood sprayed all over Neji's back. A crescent strike was etched into his back and blood was dripping out of the wound. "You shouldn't have underestimated me; if we were allowed killing blows you would be dead right now." Naruto said with no emotion.

Tenten had never seen her friend like this before. Every time they sparred, there was always a smile on his face. '_Was this how strong he really was?' _Tenten thought while watching the spar. Neji panted before gathering his breath. "So even a loser can injure me, I will make sure you will never hit me again." Naruto put his hand up to activate a seal. Neji saw this and noticed there was a seal on his back thanks to Byakugan. "Looks like you noticed my seal on your back." Naruto smiled at Neji.

"Too bad you noticed it too late. You lose Neji." Naruto activated the seal and light surrounded Neji. Neji was blinded by the sudden light that he had to deactivate his Doujutsu. "**Kage no Sasayaki Ryu: Tsubame no Mure (Shadow Whisper Style: Swarm of Swallows)**." Naruto rapidly slashed Neji's body countless of times. When the light dissipated, Naruto was standing over Neji's form that was riddled with wounds.

Naruto bent down to face Neji. "This so called trash just defeated you. If what you said was true then what are you now that you lost to trash? Your so called fate didn't help you win even though you said it would. You said that fate dictates your life, and then why not change it? You didn't try to change it because you are a coward. You took the coward's way out and wallowed in self-pity and arrogance." Naruto got up and apologize to Guy for hurting his student and left the training ground.

Neji laid there with his face on the ground, thinking about Naruto's words. Gai sat down next to his defeated student. "Neji everyone here believed that you were strong, even stronger than Naruto-kun." Gai comforted the Hyuuga. "The only one who didn't believe this was Naruto-kun. He was able to beat you because you were arrogant and underestimated him. I hope you learn an important lesson today and think about the words that he told you. Gai said in a serious tone unlike his usual.

'_Is it possible to change fate? He was obviously weaker than me yet he was able to win. I may not know if fate could be changed but I will at least try from now on.' _Neji thought as he reached a self-realization. "Hai Gai-sensei." Neji said with a rare smile on his face.

"Yosh I will also make Naruto-kun my eternal rival." Lee shouted at the top of his lungs. The spandex duo then carried Neji to the hospital and telling Tenten she had the rest of the day off. Gai also told her to tell Naruto that he is would be willing to teach Naruto Taijutsu.

Tenten nodded before running to catch up to Naruto. The weapon mistress didn't have to run far as Naruto came into view. "Naruto, wait a minute." She grabbed Naruto by the arm, stopping him from going any further.

Naruto eyebrows arched up in confusion. "What can I do for you Tenten?" Naruto asked his friend.

"What was all of that Naruto? I never had seen you move like that before." Tenten asked since every time they sparred, Naruto never displayed such skills.

"Well to be honest I didn't want to attack the stick up the ass (Neji) like that." Naruto rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "He just made me so mad for insulting my friends. I don't care if he talks about me, I'm used to it but when he talks about my friends it is a different story. So I wanted to pummel him and make him regret it. Those attacks are mainly used to injure or kill my opponent. I would never use it against you." Naruto admitted to his friend.

Tenten sighed for the second time today and came up to Naruto. _'Why does he always so selfless? He never thinks about himself. It is such an admirable trait yet why does it feel so sad?' _Tenten thought as she wrapped her arms around Naruto. Naruto was surprised at the action but he hugged her back. They stood there together for a brief moment until a booming voice rang throughout the village.

"Look Gai-sensei I told you Tenten embraced your teachings of youth." Lee shouted from a hospital window.

"Yes you are right my student, youthful Tenten is just too shy to show it." Gai then flashed a nice guy pose towards Tenten and Naruto. Lee followed the action and his teeth twinkled. The blonde and brunette blushed and quickly separated from each other. A nurse came by and told them to leave since they were disturbing the patients. Naruto and Tenten laughed as the nurse chased Guy and Lee with a clipboard ready to strike.

***Graduation Day, two months later***

Naruto sat there anxiously as the rest of the class came into the room. Some were nervous while others just wanted to get the exams over with. Naruto waited for his turn for the Ninjutsu part of the exam. Naruto answered enough questions on the written part to pass. He was able to pass the throwing test with ease. In the Taijutsu portion, Mizuki went up against Naruto. Naruto was able to win using a style that Gai taught him.

Gai taught Naruto as promised and after seeing Naruto's horrible Taijutsu, was motivated even further. Naruto's new form was called **Suifuto Tsubame (Swift Swallow)**. It was an original style that Gai made after seeing **Kage no Sasayaki Ryu**. Gai had mixed Naruto's sword style with the Hyuuga's was an evasive style that uses Naruto's instincts and limber body to dodge attacks. Naruto would dodge or parry and attack different areas of the body. It was different from the Juken as it attacked pressure points instead of tenketsu points.

Neji had actually helped Gai to create the style. After the spar with Naruto, Neji had loosened up and was not as pessimistic as before. He was still serious but he now cracked jokes and laughed. When Gai asked Neji for advice on helping, Naruto was sure he would refuse since the Juken was a clan technique. Instead, Neji instructed Naruto on how the Juken worked and in return Naruto would spar with Neji. Neji wanted to see how the Juken would fair against a style similar to it.

Naruto constantly had his tenketsu points closed since Neji never went easy. Eventually Naruto was able to parry Neji's attacks and deliver strikes to different pressure points. The new style was as effective as the Juken was with a few differences. Neji acknowledged that Naruto might be an equal to him and Lee in Taijutsu someday. When Naruto used the **Suifuto Tsubame **against Mizuki, the sensei toppled onto the floor in pain.

Mizuki was escorted to the hospital and everyone looked on in shock. Sasuke was seething with jealously and demanded Naruto to teach him that style. Naruto refused since it was his own and he wanted to perfect it before teaching anybody. Sasuke didn't say anything as Naruto didn't outright refuse or accept to teach him. Sasuke just grunted and went back to brooding. The Ninjutsu portion was the last part and it went in alphabetical order.

Naruto was among the last in the room before his name was called. "Alright Naruto, I need you to do three basic Academy Justus." Iruka-sensei said. The two were the only ones in the room since Naruto had sent Mizuki to the hospital. Naruto used **Kawarimi **with a chair in the room and **Henge **to turninto Iruka. Naruto finished off with the test with 50 **Bunshins**. Iruka was beyond happy and congratulated Naruto before grabbing a hitai-ate.

"Naruto if you would let me, can I put your hitai-ate for you?" Iruka asked his now ex-student.

"Sure sensei by all means." Naruto replied with a grin. Iruka bent down and placed Naruto's googles to his neck. He then tied the hitai-ate to Naruto's forehead. When he finished, small tears formed from his eyes.

He tightly hugged Naruto before releasing and looked at Naruto. "I always believed that you could do it, I am so proud of you." Iruka smiled as he wiped away the tears.

Naruto this time embraced his teacher. "Thank you for not hating me like everybody else Iruka-sensei, I learned a lot from you even though your lectures were boring." The two shared a laugh and promised to meet at Ichiraku's sometimes. Naruto met up with his friends and they went to the Akimichi's to celebrate their graduation. It was a festive day and around nighttime Naruto left to talk to the Sandaime.

He entered the room to find a limping Mizuki with a scroll in his hands. "Look at my luck; just before I leave the village I get to kill the demon brat." Mizuki grinned evilly while placing the scroll down.

"So you are a traitor Mizuki-teme, I always knew your smiles were fake. Let me ask you a question before you die, who are you working for and why?" Naruto asked but went into his stance. Mizuki laughed hysterically at the boy.

"Who are you to ask me those questions? Since you are going to die anyway, I shall indulge in your last wish. I work for the great Orochimaru-sama and he promised me power to match even the Kages." Mizuki confessed to Naruto.

"There is no way you would do this alone. You are too stupid for that, who is helping you?" Naruto tried to goat Mizuki into revealing more information.

"I am not stupid you fucking demon. Wait, why are you so calm when I am about to kill you?" Mizuki eyes narrowed.

"Damn I was hoping to get more information out of you; he is all yours ANBU-san." At Naruto's words, an ANBU appeared from the shadows and captured Mizuki with ninja wire. Mizuki didn't know how to react until the Hokage came into the room.

"ANBU, take the traitor to the T&I building and give me a report on all the findings." Hiruzen told the ANBU and went to do his duties. Hiruzen then sat down in his chair and faced his surrogate grandson. "Looks like you graduated Naruto-kun, congratulations on being a Genin." The Hokage congratulated his newest Genin. His face then warped to one of seriousness. "Good job on getting Mizuki to reveal some information but how did you know there was an ANBU in here?" He asked Naruto.

Naruto gave a wide grin. "I just figured that there would be one in here since there is no way your office was unprotected. Luckily I guessed right and Mizuki was apprehended without me lifting a finger."

Hiruzen smiled at Naruto's logic. "You may have guessed right this time but next time you won't be so lucky." He warned.

"I am pretty sure I would have been able to take him down, but I will be more cautious next time." Naruto nodded and thanked his Jiji for the advice.

"Anyways Naruto, you would receive partially pay for a B rank mission for your assistance on helping capture the traitor. This will not go on your record since you are not a Genin officially until you see your Jonin sensei."

Hiruzen mixed some truth with the lies to prevent Naruto knowing about the test for Academy graduates. "Okay Jiji I just stopped by to tell you I graduated but I see that you are going to be busy so I will leave." Naruto said while saying his goodbyes to the Hokage.

When Naruto left the room, an ANBU **Shunshin **into the room and reported. "What is the status, Dragon?" Hiruzen asked the ANBU Commander.

"Mizuki had revealed everything after he was interrogated by Ibiki. Inoichi mind walked into Mizuki to confirm that he was telling the truth. He had ties with a spy of Orochimaru. The spy is a Genin Yakushi Kabuto. He is currently working at the hospital. We also found out a hideout that leads out of Konoha." Dragon finished his report.

"I want a team to capture Kabuto but proceed with caution. From Danzo's records, Kabuto was a former Root nin so he has at least chunin skills. Take another team to investigate that hideout." The Hokage ordered.

Dragon nodded and left to gather the teams. Hiruzen lit his pipe with a small fire jutsu. _'How did Kabuto infiltrate Konoha without anyone knowing? He even hid in broad daylight yet no one suspected a thing. Is it possible there is another traitor within our midst?' _He mused as he was left alone with a stack of paperwork.

***A week later at an unknown location***

"I have return Orochimaru-sama, Mizuki was captured by Konohagakure. I was unable to assassinate him before he revealed your secrets. I wish you would forgive me for my failure." Kabuto said while bowing. A flask was thrown across the room and impacted the wall next to Kabuto. "I knew I should have killed that idiot when I had the chance. It will be more difficult to infiltrate Konoha now that Sarutobi is on the lookout for us." Orochimaru raged and killed the specimen on the table.

"Shit now I killed this fool as well. This is unfortunate but we will push back our plans to invade Konoha. The invasion will happen sometime after the Chunin Exam. Go and inform the Kazekage that the proposal is nulled because of complications. Also Kimimaro, I have a mission for you." Orochimaru barked out orders before turning to a pale skinned boy.

"Is there anything I can do for you Orochimaru-sama?" Kimimaro asked his savior.

"I have heard of an interesting rumor out in Kusagakure. Apparently there is someone with abilities to heal someone if bitten. I want you to find that person and bring them back here alive. They might be an interesting subject to test or a tool to heal my troops. Either way, take the Sound Five with you and do not fail me Kimimaro." The snake Sannin said to Kimimaro.

"Of course Orochimaru-sama, you wish is my command." Kimimaro said before he walked off.

'_Sarutobi-sensei your beloved Leaf will fall to me and on that day I will kill you kukuku.'_ Orochimaru laughed before he stalked off to get a new test subject.

***At the same time in Konoha***

The Academy graduates waited patiently for Iruka-sensei to come and announce who would be their teammates. Unknown to them, the Hokage and several Jonins were watching them interact through a crystal. After a few short minutes, the Jonin backed up and waited for the Hokage to speak. "You can now make your requests, if you have any." Hiruzen told the soon to be senseis. Three people raised their hands to request. Those Jonins were Sarutobi Asuma, Hatake Kakashi, and Yuhi Kurenai.

"Alright I will hear you all out and decide whether to accept the request or not." The Hokage pointed to Kakashi first. "I would like Uchiha Sasuke on my team as I am the only one capable of teaching him the Sharingan." Kakashi said with an eye smile.

"I would like to request Hyuuga Hinata on my team for personal reasons Hokage-sama." Kurenai, the newest Jonin, requested.

"I want this generation's Ino-Shika-Cho." Asuma smirked inwardly.

Hiruzen pondered the requests for a moment. _'Kakashi is right as he would be the only one able to help Sasuke. I should put Naruto on that team and see if Kakashi recognizes his sensei's son. Kurenai would be able to boost Hinata's confidence and train her to be a respectful kunoichi. Asuma, on the other hand, is just being lazy. Stupid son knows the Ino-Shika-Cho always had amazing teamwork so he won't need to do much.'_

Hiruzen scribbled names on a paper, detailing the teams and sensei. He sent an ANBU to give the parchment to Iruka. He then gave all the Jonins a scroll with information on their team. "All requests are approved and you will meet with your teams now. You are dismissed and Kakashi remember our promise if you chose to be late again." Hiruzen threaten the Copy-nin. Kakashi shuddered at the threat.

The Hokage had threatened Kakashi that if he was late, Hiruzen would gather women to rip his collection of Icha Icha while Kakashi watched. The 'promise' worked since Kakashi was never late again. Too bad, he didn't know that the Hokage would never do that to his student's lovely books. Back at the Academy, Iruka had just silenced his class. The Jonins walked into the room to observe the prospected Genins. "Okay I will announce the teams and then you will follow your Jonin-senseis. Before I begin, I would like to announce that the Rookie of the Year is Uchiha Sasuke while Haruno Sakura is our Kunoichi of the Year." As Iruka finished, screams came from the girls as they congratulated Sasuke. Naruto and a few others congratulated Sakura but she was too busy admiring the Uchiha.

Iruka coughed in his hand to get the attention once more. "I want to say I am proud of all of you. If you work hard enough, you will succeed. Good luck on your careers as a ninja. Alright Team 1 is…" Iruka announced the teams. "Team 7 will consist of Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Naruto while your sensei is Hatake Kakashi."

Sasuke grunted in confirmation but he didn't like his team. _'Great I get Sakura the fan girl and the dobe. At least the fan girl was smart and she was the Kunoichi of the Year. There could be some hope for her. The dobe is going to drag me down with his idiocy. This sensei better be competent and teach me everything I want to know. I need to get stronger to kill Itachi.' _Sasuke thought as he ignored Sakura's proclamation of true love.

Naruto sighed as he laid his head on the desk. _'The team is not too bad but those two don't particularly like me.' _Naruto sighed inwardly this time. Iruka announced the next team. "Team 8 will consist of Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata, and Inuzuka Kiba with your sensei being Yuhi Kurenai." Shino and Hinata nodded but both were disappointed Naruto wasn't their teammate, for different reasons. Kiba was all smiles as he was on the team with his crush.

"Team 9 is still in rotation so Team 10 will consist of Akimichi Chouji, Nara Shikamaru, and Yamanaka Ino with your sensei being Sarutobi Asuma." The boys smiled at each other as Shikamaru knew this was going to be his team. Ino groaned that she had chubby and lazy. "Sai has chosen to enlist in the Root program. That is all." Iruka concluded. Naruto smiled at Sai since he knew he was going to do this since the beginning.

The others looked at Sai like he was crazy. They have heard plenty of rumors on the Root program and that it was harder than ANBU training. The truth was that Root trained their members to excel in all arts so they can assist in any situations. The training was hard depending on one's skill set. The Jonin senseis collected their teams and left the room. "Team 7 meets me at Training Ground 7 in 10 minutes." Kakashi said as he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto said his goodbyes to his friends as he followed Sasuke and Sakura. When they arrived at the training grounds, Kakashi motioned them to a bench. "Alright how about we introduce ourselves? Tell me your likes, dislikes, dreams, hobbies and skills." Kakashi said as he eye smiled his team. "How about you go first sensei?" Sakura asked Kakashi.

"Okay well my name is Hatake Kakashi and I am an elite Jonin of the Konohagakure. My likes are a few things, dislikes are none of your business, I don't exactly have a dream and all you need to know about my skills is that I am strong. I have a few hobbies." The Genins sweat dropped at their sensei's answer. "Alright bubblegum girl it is now your turn." Kakashi pointed to Sakura.

"My name is Haruno Sakura. My likes are *blushes as she glances at Sasuke* and my dream is *once again Sakura glances at Sasuke*. My dislikes are Ino-buta and Baka Sai. My hobby is *glancing at Sasuke*. My skills are my intelligence and I know a few medical skills." Sakura concluded her introduction. Kakashi then pointed for Sasuke to introduce himself.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke, the last of the loyal Uchiha. I don't like much and I dislike people inferior to me and fan girls." Sakura looked ashamed when Sasuke said that. "Dreams are irrelevant. My ambition is to revive my clan and to kill a certain man. My only hobby is training to get stronger. My skills are better than everyone in my class as I am the Rookie of the Year." Sasuke said smugly as he finished. Sakura had hearts in her eyes while staring at the Uchiha. Both Naruto and Kakashi knew who Sasuke was talking about. Kakashi decided to ask Sasuke about it private.

Kakashi pointed to his last student, the pariah of Konoha. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto. My likes are my friends, people that care for me, ramen, pranks, and reading. My dislikes are the three minutes it takes for instant ramen to cook, people who judge others without getting to know them, and getting chased around by the crazy snake lady." Kakashi shivered as he knew only one person who uses snakes and she is not someone you mess around with.

"My dream is to one day become Hokage and to find other Uzumaki, if they are any left in the world." Sasuke snorted at Naruto's dream.

"There is no way a clan less dope like you will ever become Hokage." Sasuke smirked. Kakashi thought Naruto would start arguing with Sasuke.

Naruto just calmly answered to Sasuke's jab. "Even if there is no more Uzumaki out there, I am still one." Sasuke wanted to refute but couldn't as it was also partially true for him as well.

"My hobbies are gardening and reading all sorts of books. My skills aren't anything special." Naruto lied with a straight face. Kakashi scanned Naruto like he was inspecting a product. _'It seems I really can't trust the Academy reports on Naruto. He was able to prank me when I was in ANBU, either he is really good in stealth or he is trying to hide his skills.' _Kakashi thought while observing the blonde.

"Hey sensei, why are we here?" Naruto asked, snapping Kakashi from his thoughts.

"Oh right, you are to take a test that will determine whether you become Genin or not." Kakashi answered.

"WHAT!? We already passed the test to become Genin at the Academy." Sakura protested that she was in fact a Genin.

Kakashi showed a neutral face to her. "That test determines if you have the potential to be a ninja. The real test determines whether your skills is enough to be a ninja. Only a third of the graduated students will actually become a Genin."

"That means we only have a 33% chance of passing. That is unfair to us." Sakura complained.

"The ninja world is unfair but you will have to deal with it. Anyway, if you want to pass, all you need to do is get a bell from me." The one eyed Jonin said as he held up two bells.

"But Kakashi-sensei, there is only two bells." Sakura stated the fact.

"That means one of you is going to be sent back to the Academy." Kakashi responded.

Kakashi looked at his students for their reactions. Sakura was yelling how she and Sasuke wasn't going to fail. Sasuke hmphed with arrogance as he believed he couldn't possibly fail. Naruto just sat there silenty and didn't show a single reaction. _'Okay he either is shitting his pants on the thought of failing or is already thinking of a plan. Man he really is the most unpredicable ninja.' _Kakashi thought as he was stumped again by the blond enigma.

**-Kakashi vs Naruto/Sakura/Sasuke-**

"You will have exactly one hour or when this clock rings to get one of these bells. Come at me with the intent to kill. The test starts now!" At the signal, all three hopeful Genins dashed away from the Jonin. _'Looks like they are smart enough to hide. Now lets see here, I found Sakura in the bush over there, not bad I will need to help her blend into her environments more. Sasuke is in the tree a couple feet away spying on me, pretty good for a Genin. Naruto is…shit! I forgot all about Naruto's stealth abilities. I am definitely not going to find him or I will fall into a trap of his.' _Kakashi evaluated the three and then pulled out Icha Icha: Paradise.

Sasuke was infurated by the Jonin. How dare he read a book like he was ignoring Sasuke. Suddenly, Sasuke felt a tap on his shoulders. The Uchiha glanced up to find Naruto hanging upside down with his feet holding the branch. _'When did the dobe get there?'_ Sasuke was shocked that he didn't' notice the blond. "Hey Sasuke you want to team up together with Sakura? I have a plan." Naruto whispered to Sasuke.

"Hn, I don't need your help I am an elite. There is no way I am working with you or Sakura." Sasuke said before he leapt off the tree to engage Kakashi. Naruto sighed inwardly and went to find Sakura. When he proposed the idea of working together with her, she refused saying only her and Sasuke was going to pass. Naruto really wished his teammates at least try to cooperate with him. Shrugging his shoulders in defeat, Naruto went back to placing traps.

Meanwhile Sasuke was attacking Kakashi with Taijutsu. The Uchiha has yet to land a hit on the Jonin or made Kakashi look away from the book. Sasuke was frustrated that he had yet to hurt the Jonin so he switched to Ninjutsu. "**Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)**." Sasuke blew out a huge fire ball towards Kakashi. Kakashi, seeing the size of the jutsu, disappeared underground. When the jutsu finished, nothing was left where Kakashi once stood.

Sasuke smirked at his victory until hands grabbed him and pulled him underground. "**Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu (Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique)**." Kakashi said as he jumped out of the ground. "I must say, you surprised me with the size of the fireball but you are too confident in yourself." Kakashi then leapt away to where Sakura was hiding, leaving a buried Sasuke.

Kakashi was able to instantly fool Sakura with a simple Genjutsu and was now tying her and Sasuke to the posts. _'Looks like another team that failed to pass. It is quite a shame, seeing how Naruto asked them to work together._ _Now I have to find Naruto since I am required to see his skills even though I don't want to.' _Kakashi shuddered and proceeded carefully into the forest. After what had seemed like five minutes, Kakashi had still not seen Naruto.

As he placed his foot on the ground, a trap sprang into action. Kunai came from the left while shuriken came from the left. Kakashi jumped into the air, only to pull a trip wire. An iron ball came from behind him, threating to shatter his back. With a quick **Kawarimi **with a tree branch, Kakashi escaped the iron ball. Just when the Jonin thought it was over, an explosion came from under him. Kakashi was able to escape in time due to his experience.

'_Damn it, it is like he knows exactly where I am going to land. I shouldn't have told them to come at me with the intent to kill. I need to get out of this forest.' _Kakashi said as he dodged two more kunai. Kakashi sped off towards the clearing where Sakura and Sasuke were held. Unfortunately, the two were no longer there. Kakashi figured they must have gone back into hiding. So he waited and waited but they didn't come out. _'Why hasn't the alarm rang yet?' _Kakashi thought as he walked towards the alarm clock.

As soon as Kakashi reached out for the alarm, Sasuke appeared from the forest and charged the Copy-Nin. In the instant Kakashi turned around, he felt weak like his chakra was gone. Kakashi collapsed to one knee and looked at a grinning Naruto. Naruto grabbed the bells and tossed them to Sasuke and Sakura, who also came out of the forest. "I think we passed the test, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said as he released his chakra suppression seal.

After a few quick breaths, Kakashi got up on his feet and nodded. Sakura jumped up and down while Sakura also tried to hug Sasuke. The Uchiha dodged Sakura and was looking smugly. "Before I tell you why you graduated, tell me how you caught me." He asked his new students. Naruto decided to answer the question.

"When you went into the forest to search for me, I came here and untied Sasuke and Sakura. After I finished untying them, I grab the alarm and changed the time it would ring. I then proposed my plan once again and they accepted when I told them I would give them the bells. When you notice that something was wrong with the clock, we initiated the plan. Sasuke appeared to distract you momentarily. I then use **Kawarimi no Jutsu **to switch places with the clock and I slapped a chakra suppression seal on you. You know the rest from here."

Kakashi nodded and frowned slightly. _'In the end, Naruto did all the work to beat me. It seems like I have a Nara in Naruto without the laziness. If Sasuke can let go of his arrogant pride and Sakura with her infatuation with the Uchiha, this could be a really good team. I need to fix that before I train them.' _Kakashi thought while showing the trio an eye smile. "Alright, Naruto congratulations on passing the test while you two are going back to the Academy."

"WHY!? Sasuke and I are the ones who got the bells not Naruto. He should be the one going back to the Academy." Sakura hollered. Sasuke gave Kakashi a full on glare. Naruto just sat down to watch the events unfold as he realized the point of the test.

"The actually purpose of this test is teamwork. The only one who actually displayed that was Naruto when he saved you two from the posts and giving you the bells." Kakashi could see the two emotions were calming down.

"Let me tell you a saying my sensei once told me. 'Those who don't obey the rules are trash but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash'. And don't tell me that you better than Naruto. Out there on the battlefield, titles from the Academy mean nothing out there. The enemy could care less if you were the Rookie or Kunoichi of the you are too arrogant and think you can accomplish things on your own. Sakura you only worry about Sasuke and never thought about Naruto's safety. Naruto also have flaws that he needs to correct. When he set up his traps, he never thought about your safeties." Kakashi finished talking. Sasuke gritted his teeth, Sakura looked down in shame, and Naruto slowly nodded as if he was admitting he was wrong.

"Despite this I am passing all of you because I believe we have a potential to be a great team." Kakashi said to them. They all had smiles on their face, although Sasuke's was a small one. "So be here tomorrow and from now on we are Team 7."

**Reviews:**

**skg1991 – **Well I did want to make this story original. I do know some stories where he doesn't have **Kage Bunshins**, so it isn't exactly new. The elemental clones will give him more advantages but he won't have the information transfer.

**Xanaris **– Thank you for the advice. When I have time, I will try to polish up my earlier chapters.

**bankai777 **– He might or he might not. If he does, it will be during the three year time skip.

**NinjaFang1331 **– Thank you for the compliment.

**sparrowhawk13 – **I hope the pace was too fast this chapter. I didn't have much left to introduce in the Academy stage. The third will be slightly stronger than he was in canon.

**gual1 – **Thank you for reading and reviewing.

**emilbootanimefreak – **The **Puppy Eyes Jutsu** is officially an E to S rank jutsu since it depends on who uses it and who they use it on lol. Naruto only has low Chunin level stamina because he is so young. When he gets older, he will have more chakra which means more stamina. I am not giving him the **Kage Bunshin**.The polls are above and it would have to be a drastic effort from everyone for Tenten not to be in it.

**moon fire 13 **– I have a way that I think will work stopping him learn B rank and above jutsus. Biju cloak won't be used until the three year time skip when his enemies are stronger.

**Ryuujin96 **– Thank you for the long review. It makes me happy that you took the time to write all of that. Yeah different events will cause different chain reactions but not all of them are good. I like the idea of Dosu's drill but I fixed Naruto's Taijutsu with some original. I might incorporate the drill but by doing something else. I read a lot of fanfics where Naruto pranks the ANBU. Anko is a great character to write since she is so crazy. I will use different reasons to justify each person in the harem. I also think Haku is a great match for Naruto since they are similar.

**Naruto-kun257 **– I really can't see Haku as anything other than a girl. Freaking Japan makes girl look like boys and boys look like girls.

**Silvermane1 – **Thank you very much.


	6. Chapter 6

A.N.

Okay I will like to thank everyone for taking their time to vote on the harem. Here are the long awaited results:

Tenten Higrashi – 32 votes  
>Fu – 27 votes<br>Samui – 23 votes  
>Anko Mitarashi – 21 votes<br>Yugito – 20 votes  
>Konan – 16 votes<br>Hana Inuzuka – 14 votes  
>Kin Tsuchi – 14 votes<br>Mei Terumi – 14 votes  
>Mabui – 11 votes<br>Kurotsuchi – 10 votes  
>Karui – 1 vote<p>

Congratulations to the fans of Tenten, Fu, and Samui! They will be joining Haku in the harem. I was honestly scared that third place was going to be tied. I wouldn't have known what to do LOL. Anyway enough about that, let's talk about the story. I wasn't able to fit the Wave Arc in this chapter since it would have been too long. I plan to try to make the Wave Arc original since I know people get tired of reading the same thing over and over. Well happy reading everyone!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6: Breaking the (Canon) Mold<strong>

After dismissing his team, Kakashi went to report to the Hokage. Unsurprisingly, he was still the last to enter the room even though he wasn't late. "Now that everyone is here, can you give me results?" Hiruzen asked his Jonins for their reports. (Just like in canon Teams 1-6 fails). "Team 7: pass." Kakashi smiled as the whole room erupted with chatter. Kakashi, the one who always fails his team, passed one this year.

"Of course Kakashi passed his team, he has the Rookie and Kunoichi of the Year." A random Jonin said. The others nodded their heads at the logic.

_'I can't wait to see their faces!'_ Kakashi inwardly chuckled. "Actually the only reason they passed is because Naruto took the bells from me and gave them to Sasuke and Sakura." Kakashi quickly lifted his hitai-ate and looked around the room to remember everyone's shocked faces. _'That was totally worth it.' _Kakashi thought as he put his hitai-ate back to its original position.

The room erupted into laughter as everyone believed that Kakashi was telling a joke. The only ones not laughing was Kurenai, Kakashi, and Hiruzen. _'I know Yugao said that Naruto shouldn't be underestimated but Kakashi is an elite Jonin. If this is true, I should have asked for Naruto to be put on my team. He is the reason Hinata has been gaining more confidence recently.' _Kurenai sighed at the missed opportunity.

"Kakashi, I would like to hear everything regarding your test." The Hokage said with curiosity. Kakashi gladly gave his report and retold the events to everyone. During Kakashi's report, blanks were etched onto the other Jonins' faces as they weren't sure how to react.

"After scolding them, I passed the team and we became Team 7." Kakashi finished his report on his new team. Hiruzen nodded and turned to Kurenai and Asuma.

"What has become of your teams?" He asked the Kurenai and Asuma.

"Team 8: pass, Hokage-sama." Kurenai said and Asuma followed.

"Team 10 also pass dad, I mean Hokage-sama." Asuma accidently slipped up.

"It looks like we have three new Genin squads this year. As their senseis, make sure they are prepared to be a ninja." Three "Hai" answered the Hokage. "Everyone is dismissed but don't forget to return your reports on the graduates by tonight." Hiruzen ordered.

The Jonins groaned before they exited the room. Hiruzen looked at the next item on his agenda. It pertained to the upcoming Chunin Exams in Konoha. "Hmm, I better send messages to the other villages inviting them to participate in this year's Chunin Exams. Maybe I should send an invite to Kumo and Iwa as a good will gesture. They aren't going to come here anyway." Hiruzen smiled as he tied the invitations to the messenger birds.

***The Konohagakure Library***

In the Genin section of the library sat Naruto with several blank scrolls on the table in front of him. The table was full of different books and scrolls. Since Shinobi scrolls and books weren't available for checkout, Naruto had to write down everything in a scroll. Currently, he was copying the contents of 'Chakra Control' in an effort to improve himself. He received a tap on his shoulder and looked behind him. There standing behind him was Shizune. "Hello Naruto-kun, what are you doing here?" She asked curiously.

"Hi Shizune-neesan, I'm looking up books that will help me become a better shinobi." Naruto answered while smiling. Shizune looked at the massive stack of scrolls and books.

"Wow Naruto-kun you sure are working hard. Don't you think this is a little much?" Shizune was impressed but was worried that Naruto would burn himself out.

"I don't think so because information is knowledge. If I can study all of this, it will help me later on." Naruto reasoned.

"How about I help you? From what I see, there are several books that are basically the same. If you copy down everything from every book, then you will be here all week." Shizune offered her help to her little brother.

"Aren't you really busy with baa-chan? I don't think you have the time to help me." Naruto asked. Shizune shook her head.

"Tsunade-sama kicked me out of her office earlier. She said it was her break but she just wanted to drink the sake under her desk."

Naruto laughed but was quickly shushed by the other people in the library. He then accepted Shizune's offer to help. Just like she said, Shizune gathered all the books that were similar while Naruto continued copying. Eventually Shizune had a pile of books on her side and Naruto had a few. Shizune returned the books to their proper places and came back to Naruto.

On the table was the Chakra Control book Naruto had just finished copying, a scroll with information on the five elements, Jiraiya's 'Fuinjutsu Level Five: Making Your Own Seals', the bingo book, and a book on the history of Uzushiogakure. "Naruto, these books and scrolls are all very different from each other, why do they interest you?" Shizune asked since curiosity was getting to her.

"Yugao-nee told me that chakra control benefits all ninjas. She said since I have such a huge amount of chakra, it doesn't affect me as much. I wanted to work on it anyway so I won't need to waste chakra by putting too much into a technique. Plus I just saw in this book that the first two chakra control exercises are tree and water walking. That is so cool! I can't wait to walk on water!" Naruto excitement caused him to receive another shush for everyone.

"I took the element scroll because I saw Sasuke used a fire jutsu and I was curious if I was able to do that as well." Naruto held up the scroll.

Shizune decided to advise Naruto. "I shall explain it to you then. Chakra has elemental properties to them. The five elements are fire, wind, water, earth, and lightening. Everybody has an elemental affinity within them." Shizune said as she looked around for something. She left a confused Naruto and returned with a piece of paper.

"This paper here determines what elemental affinity you have when you apply chakra to it. The way to determine this is to see how the paper reacts. The paper will burn if it is fire, split in half if it is wind, wrinkle if it is lightening, crumble if it is earth, or get soggy if it is water." Shizune explained before she handed the paper to Naruto. Naruto began pouring chakra into the paper. The paper split in half right down the middle and both halves became soggy.

"Does that mean I have two affinities?" Naruto asked Shizune.

"You are correct Naruto-kun it is quite impressive that you have two affinities." Shizune praised the blond.

"Does that mean I can only use wind or water jutsus?" Naruto was disappointed since it would be awesome to use all five.

"If you have an affinity for an element, it means that you are able to use those elements easier than the others. You can still learn the others but it would be more difficult to use them." Shizune said to brighten Naruto up.

"Does anybody use all five of the elements?" Naruto wanted to ask advice from that person, if they existed. Shizune lightly giggled.

"Yes somebody really close to you can use all five." She could see Naruto's face turned into one of frustration as he thought of the person. "It is the Sandaime Hokage-sama." Shizune saw Naruto's face turn into one of admiration.

"I'm going to go find Jiji." Before Naruto ran off, he was halted when Shizune grasped his shoulder.

"You can go later Naruto-kun; I want you to explain these other books to me. I am curious and it is the least you can do since I helped you." The older woman had an idea what they were for but wanted to talk to Naruto since she rarely was able to see him.

Naruto nodded and picked up Jiraiya's book. "I am learning Fuinjutsu and I am a level four seal master. The reason why I picked up this art is because it is useful and it was one thing my clan was famous for." Shizune was amazed that Naruto was able to comprehend such a complex art. Although it is very useful, Fuinjutsu is a dying art as not many can understand it. "The bingo book will be useful to identify future enemy ninja. You can never know if you encounter an enemy ninja when you are out there on a mission. I want to learn about them so I can identify a weakness. I might never need this information but it is better safe than sorry." Naruto said to Shizune. Naruto continued as he picked up the history book. "I want to learn more about my clan. This isn't going to make me a stronger shinobi but I want to learn something that can help me identify future Uzumaki, if there are any left." Naruto said the last part quietly.

Shizune noticed Naruto sad expression and decided to change the topic. "Well Naruto-kun, how about I go with you to visit Hokage-sama?" Shizune suggested to the blonde.

"Sure Shizune-neesan, I don't mind if you come." Naruto replied.

After 20 minutes of Naruto finishing copying the rest into his scrolls, he and Shizune headed towards the Hokage office. When they arrived at the door, they were ushered in by an ANBU. "Oh, what can I do for the two of you?" Hiruzen asked as he was glad for the distraction.

"Jiji, Shizune-neechan told me that you can use all five elements." Naruto said.

The Hokage gave Naruto a grandfatherly smile. "Yes, I can use all five elements, why would you like to know that?" He inquired.

Naruto told the Hokage the same story he told to Shizune and how he had two affinities. "So I was wondering how you trained to use all five elements." Naruto finished.

Hiruzen leaned back into his chair in thought. "Naruto-kun learning all five elements is extremely difficult because the elements that are not your affinity require more chakra to use. I honestly don't believe you will have a problem because of how much chakra you possess but it will still be hard. The only thing you can do is practice, lots of practice." The old man said before he searched for a scroll in his desk.

Finally locating it, he tossed the scroll to Naruto. "That scroll contains the training method I used to fully master all the chakra natures and an E rank elemental jutsu for each nature. If you master your element, it becomes easier to control while also being more powerful. However, it takes years for one to master an element even if it is their affinity. You can practice with those E rank Jutsus to see the difference after you advanced a level in chakra nature. There are three levels to each element so good luck Naruto-kun. Think of it as a graduation present." Hiruzen chuckled when he saw Naruto's face.

Naruto was in disbelief as there was so much to learn regarding jutsus. He needed to start now if he wanted to become Hokage like Jiji. "Thank you Jiji, I am going to work hard and one day I will take your job dattebayo." Naruto proclaimed.

"I can't wait for that day to happen Naruto-kun." Hiruzen chuckled as he believed Naruto actually had what it takes.

"Well I am going to work on my chakra control first before I start with my chakra nature." Naruto began planning his schedule.

Naruto and Shizune left the room and Naruto was about to storm off to train when he was called by Shizune. "Naruto-kun, where are you going? You are supposed to be a gentleman and take me home. Were you not taught manners?" Shizune teased him when she suddenly remembered that Naruto didn't have parents. "Naruto-kun I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

Naruto interrupted her. "It is okay Shizune-neesan, come on I'll walk you home." Naruto said as he walked with her to the Senju Estate.

When they arrived they saw a little boy arguing with Tsunade in front of the compound. "Shut up old lady, it is your fault I failed to defeat Jii-chan the other day." The boy wearing a scarf barked out.

Tsunade lifted him by said scarf and stared straight into eyes. "Listen brat you tripped over your stupid long scarf, I had nothing to do with it. I swear kids these days have no respect for their elders." Tsunade said in annoyance.

"Tsunade-sama you can't hurt the poor little boy." Shizune ran over and tried to run damage control.

Naruto walked over to the group as well. "Baa-chan you should be the mature one here. Just let the kid go." Naruto sighed at his godmother.

"But Naru-chan…" Tsunade whimpered at the one being scolded. She reluctantly released the kid and the kid ran over to hide behind Naruto.

"Ha, I found your weakness your old lady." Konohamaru said with a toothy grin.

"Kid I don't know who you are but you shouldn't mess with my Baa-chan. She is my family and I would do anything to protect her, not that she needs it." Naruto chuckled lightly. Tsunade regained her smile.

"My name is Sarutobi Konohamaru and I am the honorable grandson of the Hokage." Konohamaru shouted. Naruto gave him a devilish grin and pointed to Tsunade.

"My Baa-chan's name is Senju Tsunade. She is the granddaughter of the Shodaime, grandniece of the Nidaime, student of the Sandaime, and one of the Sannin." Naruto told Konohamaru. The younger boy paled instantly while Tsunade was clutching her sides in laughter.

"I-I'm sorry for yelling at you, please don't hurt me." Konohamaru shivered as he apologized. The adults and Naruto raised an eyebrow at the boy's nervousness.

"Konohamaru-kun you don't have to be afraid. Tsunade-sama won't hurt you if you are nice to her." Shizune tried to assure the boy.

"But she is the one Jii-chan told me about. He told me that she would punch her teammate through a wall or make a crater by stomping on him." Konohamaru said while averting everyone's gaze. Naruto and Shizune turned to Tsunade who had turn her head in embarrassment.

"Honorable Grandson, I have finally found you." A male voice broke the conversation. A man with glasses walked up to the little boy. Ebisu spotted Naruto standing near Konohamaru. "Honorable Grandson, I need to take you home, you do not need to talk to this savage." Ebisu spat out in disgust.

_'Damn even as a fellow shinobi, I still get treated like trash.' _Naruto remained silent.

"But this person helped protect me, he isn't bad." Konohamaru protested to the Jonin.

Ebisu was about to retort when he heard a female voice. "You better choose your words carefully the next time you talk about my godson." Tsunade threated while cracking her knuckles.

"Tsu-Tsunade-sama I did not see you. Rest assured that I will protect the Honorable Grandson from bad influences." Ebisu smiled confidently as he mistaken who Tsunade was talking about. Tsunade seized his throat and hoisted Ebisu into the air.

"My godson is Uzumaki Naruto and I warned you to watch your words carefully." Tsunade relaxed her grip before grabbing Ebisu's collar. She yanked back her hand that was holding Ebisu and threw him across the village. Shrieks and screams were heard as he landed into the hot springs. The women in the springs proceeded to beat him up before tossing him over the fence. Naruto sweat dropped at his godmother's actions.

"Um thanks Baa-chan but you don't need to do that. I am used to it." As Naruto finished his sentence, he was smoldered by breasts. With Tsunade's arms wrapped around his back, the blond boy was quickly running out of breath.

"Tsunade-sama you are going to suffocate him." Shizune said loudly. Realizing what was happening, Tsunade slacken her death hug.

"Oops, my bad Naru-chan I sometimes forget my own strength." The older blond apologized.

When she finally released him, Naruto breathed in the precious air. "Why did Ebisu-sensei call you a bad influence on me?" Konohamaru asked Naruto. Naruto was unsure how to answer the question since no one had ever asked him that before.

"Well you see Konohamaru, I constantly prank the village. Your sensei didn't want you to turn out like me." Naruto was glad he found a solid reason.

Konohamaru's eyes turned into stars in admiration as he looked at Naruto. "You are my idol! Can I get an autograph please? I remember all your pranks that you did. I even have a journal of all the pranks you did. The best one was when you painted the Hokage Monuments." Konohamaru could not contain his excitement.

Everyone else just chuckled at the scene. "That one took a lot of time to prepare, I had to do it really early otherwise I would have been caught." Naruto said in remembrance.

"I've decided that from now I will call you, Boss, since you are my idol and you always say my name." Konohamaru declared.

Naruto was perplexed by this. "What do you mean I always say your name?" The male blond asked.

"Well everyone else in the village always calls me Honorable Grandson but you don't." Konohamaru answered shyly. Naruto saw an image of his younger self in Konohamaru. While Naruto did things to gain attention, Konohamaru wanted recognition.

"Alright Konohamaru, we can hang out when I am free. As you can tell by my hitai-ate, I am a ninja so I won't have all the time in the world but I'll try to make time for you. Since it is getting dark, you should head home for today." Naruto said as he ruffled the younger boy's hair. Konohamaru hugged Naruto before waving his goodbyes to everyone and headed back home. "Well I should head home as well." Naruto was once again stopped, this time by Tsunade.

"Naru-chan, come have dinner with Shizune and I. We haven't been able to spend much time lately and I miss my godson." Tsunade gently pulled him into him into the home before he could decline the invitation. Shizune silently followed behind with a smile on her face. The dinner was sushi that Tsunade had brought earlier. She brought it because it was next to the sake and she had a small craving for it. As the dinner finished, Shizune took him around a tour of the house. Tsunade appeared before behind them as the duo was headed to the living room. "Naru-chan, what do you think about living with us?" She asked nervously before she continued. "I mean we have plenty of room and I don't like the fact that you are living in the red light district. You can be with Shizune and I, we will be like a real family." She tried to convince her godson. Naruto let out a small sigh from his mouth.

"Baa-chan I appreciate the offer but my home is in the red light district. While it is a bad place, the people there have never discriminated me. I'm not exactly alone anymore as I have my brothers, Shin and Sai. We might not see each other often anymore but they are like, no, they are family to me." Naruto said with conviction. Tsunade and Shizune could only sigh as they understood that Naruto wasn't going to leave anytime soon. Naruto said his goodbyes and headed home after the conversation.

Once there, he decided to work on the tree walking exercise before calling a night. Naruto read over the steps on how to successfully complete the exercise. He lay down on the ground underneath the tree and applied chakra to his feet. He slowly took a step and then another. He was now hovering above the ground. He was so excited on his accomplishment that he slipped in his concentration. He applied to much chakra and was blasted off the tree.

He flew a few feet and landed on the ground with a thud. As Naruto regained his bearings, a flash of light went off. The blonde turned around to see Shin with a camera in his hands. "Man Naruto, you really flew quite a bit, I'm going to have Sai paint this picture and put it up on the wall." Shin laughed at his little brother.

"Haha, laugh at my misery. You just came back from your mission?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, border patrol is so boring. I wish Sai had the same assignment as me." Shin complained. "Anyway I need a shower so I will talk to you later." Shin went into his and Sai's apartment and left Naruto alone. Naruto went back to practice tree climbing and called it quits after going up to the first branch. Naruto went his apartment and took a quick shower. He checked over his supplies and decided to head to Higarashi's tomorrow morning. Naruto put on his pajamas and sleeping cap and then headed off to bed.

***The Next Morning***

Naruto left his apartment around six and made his way to Higarashi's. The streets were mostly empty as most of the population was still asleep. As he got there, he saw Team 9 minus Tenten standing in the shop. "Good morning to you, Naruto-kun." The spandex duo greeted loudly, much to the ire of everyone.

"Good morning Naruto-san what are you doing here?" Neji asked.

"Morning everyone, I came to get some extra supplies and to get my sword checked." Naruto answered.

"I heard that you are on my youthful rival's team and now our teams can compete against each other." Gai gave his nice guy pose.

"That would be an unfair advantage. Your team has a year on ours and we aren't as strong as you guys." Naruto said as he handed his wakizashi to Kajiya for inspection.

"Life is not fair and you know our skills while we don't know any of your teammates." Neji logically argued.

"Brilliant idea Neji, I shall ask Kakashi if he would like for our teams to spar." Gai said enthusiastically.

Gai ran off to find Kakashi. Neji sighed at his sensei. "I didn't mean for that to happen. I was just pointing out facts." Neji said as Tenten came down.

"Where is Gai-sensei, I could have sworn I heard his voice." Tenten asked.

"Good morning Tenten, Gai-sensei is seeking Naruto-kun's sensei so our teams can spar." Lee answered.

"I thought we were supposed to do a mission today? Gai-sensei told us we were going to do a C-rank mission." Tenten just gave up in understanding the man.

The group made idle chatter when Kajiya returned with Naruto's wakizashi and Gai returned with Kakashi. "Gai for the last time, I don't think it is a good idea for our teams to spar." Kakashi said as he straightens his clothing.

"My youthful rival, this will benefit both of our teams. My team will see how far they have come in a year and your team will learn that they have a long way to go before they become a strong ninja." Gai tone was quite serious as he really believed in what he was saying.

Kakashi pondered the idea for a bit. _'Sasuke can learn some humility and that he is not the strongest of his generation, at least not yet. Sakura will hopefully break out her fan girlness once she faces a real kunoichi. Naruto is still an enigma as he has yet to show me any of his skills besides stealth, trap making, and Fuinjutsu. This will be a good chance to learn about him.' _Kakashi thought that it was actually a good idea. "Sure, I think we should meet at Training Ground 7 in two hours." Kakashi said as he gave an eye smile.

"Yosh team, while we wait we will do out light warm ups at their training grounds." Gai shouted. Lee responded in kind while Neji and Tenten groaned. The spandex duo sprinted out of the building and left everyone else in the dust.

"Why couldn't my daughter get a more normal sensei?" Kajiya grumbled as his store was now full of dust.

"Why don't we grab Sasuke and Sakura? It would be better if they warmed up as well." Kakashi said to Naruto and everyone left the store.

After grabbing an irritated Sakura and an annoyed Sasuke, Team 7 made it to their training grounds. "Gah, what is with those outfits? My eyes must be seeing things." Sakura rubbed her eyes to get rid of the so called illusion. Team 9 stopped their activities and introduced each other.

"We are going to have one on one spar against Team 9. They have been a team for a year so they are quite strong. I want to see how you stack up against them." Kakashi told his team. "Gai, how should we pair this up?" Kakashi consulted the fellow Jonin.

"Neji vs Naruto, Tenten vs Sakura, and Lee vs Sasuke." Gai answered.

"Wouldn't it be better for the two Rookie of the Year go against each other? I am not saying Lee or Naruto are weak but I don't think they can compete against two prodigies." Kakashi replied because he wanted it to be fair match.

"Kakashi, you are about to get a rude awakening." Gai smirked.

Kakashi was confused by Gai's statement. He could believe Lee was as strong as Sasuke since he had a year of practice but Naruto was a different story. Sure the Academy report was not a good indicator on Naruto's abilities but Neji was considered a prodigy of the Hyuuga Clan. "What do you mean by that Gai?" Kakashi asked.

"I have been training Naruto in Taijutsu and he has even made a new style." Gai answered proudly.

The Copy Nin was shocked by this proclamation. "Why were you training Naruto when you had your own team?" Kakashi wanted to know the reason.

"Naruto-kun is a friend of our Tenten and has taught a valuable lesson to Neji. Naruto works very hard and I was impressed since he is similar to Lee. So I agreed to teach him when he asked. You shall see first-hand why he will be a force to reckon with in the future." Gai said as he called the students over.

"The first match will be Sasuke vs Lee. Anything is allowed except killing blows since we want to gauge your skills." Kakashi explained.

"Yosh, Gai-sensei I will make you proud." Lee shouted.

"Hn, like that green weakling can beat an elite Uchiha like me." Sasuke grunted.

"Sasuke, you shouldn't underestimate Lee. Sure he looks like that but he is very strong. I cannot keep up with him when we fight." Naruto tried to warn his teammate.

"That is because you are weak as well. I don't need advice from a dobe." Sasuke smirked.

"Look Sasuke, I am trying to help you out. You don't have to listen to my advice if you don't want to." Naruto was annoyed by Sasuke's attitude but he was still a teammate.

"Fine." Sasuke replied as he went to Lee.

**-Lee vs Sasuke-**

"You should give up now. There is no way someone like you can beat an Uchiha." Sasuke taunted Lee like Neji used to.

Lee got into his Goken stance. "I will prove to you that a person that works hard can beat a prodigy, just like when Naruto-kun beat Neji." Lee responded to Sasuke's taunt. This got a reaction from the other members of Team 7.

"Even if I despise the Hyuuga clan, I know they are strong. There is no way a former dead last can beat a Hyuuga." Sasuke was skeptical to the claim.

"I was the dead last of my graduation class but I am not the person I used to be." Lee answered with conviction. Sasuke got into the Uchiha Interceptor stance. Gai signaled for the spar to begin. Sasuke rushed his opponent, only to realize that Lee was no longer there. Instead he was underneath the Uchiha and delivered a strong right punch to Sasuke's gut. Sasuke spitted out saliva as he skidded across the grounds.

Sasuke woozily got up, only to see Lee in front of him. Sasuke held his arms in a cross position to lessen the damage. Lee stopped his fist before the guard and spun his right leg to smack Sasuke on the side. Sasuke was able to regain his bearings and fired off a jutsu. "**Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)**." The giant fireball was about to engulf Lee until he jumped in the air. Sasuke jumped up to intercept Lee in mid-air but received a face full of feet as Lee kicked him.

Sasuke smacked into the ground, wincing from the pain. Lee was about to follow through with a punch before Kakashi stopped his fist. "Winner Lee!" Gai said cheerfully while Sakura protested the decision. Sasuke got up to glare at Lee but was met with his sensei's stern gaze.

"Sasuke I hope in this spar that you learned a valuable lesson. Not everyone is going to praise or quiver when they hear your name. Most would try to kill or do something worse. They will keep you alive so you can become a breeder." When Kakashi said the last part, everyone shivered in fear.

Sasuke quickly got out of his stupor. "I don't care about stupid lessons; all I want is to get stronger to kill a certain man. You are to train me to do that." Sasuke demanded. Kakashi smacked him on his head, making Sasuke tumble. Sakura was about to give her sensei a piece of her mind when Naruto held her back. "Uchiha Sasuke, do not forget that I am not only your sensei but your superior as well." Kakashi released some of his KI. "If you want me to train you, you are to politely ask. Your attitude and demeanor is going to cause us trouble when we go on missions. I will not jeopardize this team so that one day you might go off and fight a stronger enemy on your own. That could result in getting all of us killed because of your selfishness. The path of avenger is a dark one, where one lusts for power. The path you are following is just like Itachi's." Kakashi finished his lecture.

Both Naruto and Sasuke flinched when they heard Itachi's name. "I am nothing like him. He was a traitor." Sasuke screamed out.

"People said that Itachi killed the Uchiha Clan because he wanted to test himself. He wanted to see how strong he was. You are going the same route as him. That path is full of loneliness, I should know because I was like you when I was young." This statement caused everyone to look at Kakashi in wonder. "When I was young, I was considered a prodigy. I graduated the academy at 5 and was a Chunin a year later. I worked so hard to get out of my father's shadow. I only worried about the missions instead of my comrades. On one mission, my teammate Uchiha Obito saved my life by sacrificing himself. That was the day when I realized he was my best friend but it was too late because he died protecting me. To this day, I regret not spending more time with my teammates instead of being alone all the time training." Kakashi finished his backstory.

Everyone was silent while Sasuke didn't know how to react. _'Itachi told me that I need to hate to kill him! Wait why am I even listening to him? He might have said that to make sure I never reach my full potential. I don't know what to think. I followed the path of an avenger since the massacre but what do I d6o now?_" Sasuke's thoughts were scrambling in his head. Kakashi saw this and was glad that he was making Sasuke doubt his ways.

Sasuke listlessly walked towards his team and sat on the ground. Sakura wanted to say something but she was grabbed by Naruto, who was shaking his head. Gai congratulated Lee on his victory but told him not to be overconfident since Sasuke only just got out of the Academy. "Okay now let's move on. Sakura and Tenten please come forward." Kakashi announced.

**-Sakura vs Tenten-**

"I can't wait to fight a fellow Kunoichi of the Year. I hope you don't disappoint my expectations, Sakura-san." Tenten made idle chat.

"I will beat you and Sasuke-kun will see how strong I am." Sakura yelled. Sasuke didn't show any reaction and silently watched the spar.

"Don't tell me you are a fan girl. Fan girls bring shame to the kunoichi name. Looks like I am going to have to beat you out of it." Tenten brought out two kunai.

"Sakura, Tenten has deadly accuracy so make sure you deflect them instead of dodging." Naruto was going to continue before his friend spoke over him.

"Shut up Naruto, whose side are you on?" Tenten barked to her best friend.

"I am on my teammate's side of course." Naruto stated the obvious. The senseis chuckled at the conversation.

"Okay enough chatter, are you two ready?" Kakashi asked. Both girls nodded their heads. Kakashi dropped his raised hand and kunai flew into the air.

Tenten threw her kunai at Sakura who deflected them with her own. "**Bunshin no Jutsu**." Three Sakuras came rushing towards Tenten.

The bun girl smirked at the jutsu. "Let me tell you something useful, **Bunshins** don't have shadows." Tenten said as she fired several shurikens at the real Sakura. Sakura grunted in pain as two shurikens stuck her legs, making her collapse to the ground. She used her hands to catch her fall only to be meet by Tenten's knee to her chin. Sakura's vision faltered as she collapsed on the ground. "I hit you on the chin to make you slightly dazed. You should start training seriously if you want that Uchiha's attention. I think he only likes strong kunoichi and you are certainly not one." Tenten didn't know what she said was true but it will be a good motivator. "Another thing is that you should stop dieting. We are ninja and we need energy to perform our tasks. You don't have to worry about losing your figure." Tenten finished as she walked to her team.

Kakashi was peeved that he lost his chance since he wanted to be the one to tell Sakura but decided that a fellow kunoichi words might have more of an impact. He glanced at Sakura eye's and saw they now possessed a small fire within. "Sakura we will talk later after the last spar." Kakashi told his student as he picked her up and laid her near Sasuke. "In the meantime, you two should watch Naruto and maybe your opinion of him as a former dead last will change." Kakashi suggested to the two.

-**Neji vs Naruto-**

"It has been a while since we last spar seriously Naruto-san. I propose we only use Taijutsu since I want to see how far you come." Neji got into his Juken stance while Naruto got into his Suifuto Tsubame stance. Naruto's stance was similar to Neji's except his arms were lax.

"Alright Neji, let's try not to kill each other." Naruto joked even though their blows can be fatal to their opponent. Gai raised his hand and the air was tense as everyone watched. Gai hand dropped down.

Both boys stood there waiting for the other to move first. Neji initiated the attack by trying to strike Naruto in the chest with his right arm. Naruto parried the strike and countered, only for Neji to target Naruto's attacking arm with his left. Naruto, with a flick of the wrist, changed his course and attacked Neji's left elbow. Neji's elbow was shocked momentarily, causing his arm to stop before he could hit Naruto's tenketsu.

Naruto used his free hand to press the attack when Neji's right hand struck him twice in the side. The blond jumped away to avoid several more strikes to his tenketsu. Neji pursued and did not give Naruto time to breath. Naruto ducked under the attack and deliver a blow to Neji's knee. Neji buckled and saw the jinchūriki was about to give an open palm to his shoulder. Neji met the attack head on with his own open palm. Naruto was outclassed in power and his palm was forced back.

Naruto swung his foot so that his heel would impact Neji's temple. Neji's seized the opening and disabled Naruto's leg and in a quick motion, did the same to Naruto's arms. With only one working leg, Naruto found that he was unable to remain standing. "I yield." Naruto said as he was caught by Neji before he fell.

"Not bad, Naruto-san but you are still not strong enough to challenge me yet." Neji said with a small smile.

Everyone was speechless at the fight between the two. Sasuke remember that Naruto had used that style when going against Mizuki. The teacher was disabled in a couple of moves but Naruto was outclassed by the Hyuuga. Sakura was shocked that Naruto was able to display such prowess against last year's Rookie of the Year. He was near the bottom in the class but he lasted longer than Sasuke and her in their spars.

Kakashi was pleasantly surprised with his student. Most would be stupid to fight a Hyuuga in close quarters but Naruto was able to dodge and attack Neji even if it was momentarily. _'Naruto's style seems similar to the Juken except that it targets pressure points. It still has some flaws but I can help fix that." _Kakashi began planning several exercises for his team to do. Gai laughed proudly as his student's defeated his rival's even if it was unfair circumstances.

Team 9 left the training ground to retrieve a mission and said their goodbyes. Kakashi turned to his battered students and gave a stern gave. "As you can now see, you are not the strongest Genin and people can easily defeat you. Sasuke you were overconfident in your abilities again and underestimated your opponent. You should never judge a ninja by their appearance because it will one day cost you." Sasuke looked down in either shame or anger over Kakashi's words. No one was able to tell. "Sakura of the three, you have the most to improve on. Thanks to your constant dieting, your body lacks the energy that is required. You seem to have great intelligence but you aren't applying it on the field. I hoped you didn't expect that one of us to rescue you, if you were in trouble during a mission. You have to be able to stand on your two feet." Sakura was crestfallen at the bashing she received from her sensei. "Naruto I know that you trained with Neji and that this was a spar but you shouldn't have engaged him a Taijutsu match. You were coaxed into fighting his area of expertise and were defeated. I see that you are quite intelligent so you should have battled with your strengths. You have to treat the spar as if it was real." Kakashi finished as Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "That being said, I think with my training you three can reach your potentials. Always remember that we are a team so we have to protect each other's back." Kakashi's eye turned to a 'U', indicating that he was smiling. His students brighten up and resolved to get stronger.

***Four Months Later***

Team 7 was waiting patiently for their client for their first C-rank mission. They were supposed to protect the client while he builds a bridge in Wave Country. Kakashi finally approved after his students constantly complained about the D-ranks. The unit gelled together to finish missions with efficiently. Sasuke had slowly opened up to the group even if it was short answers instead of grunts. While Sakura was getting rid of her fan girlness and was getting serious about her career. Naruto was still noisy and loud except when it came to missions. He was serious once they accepted a mission. Kakashi can honestly say he was proud of all three of them.

Over the past four months, all of their skills had improved, even Kakashi's. The Copy Nin was lax in his training since retiring from ANBU. He was snapped out of his laziness when his students refused to follow a lazy sensei. That set up a funny situation where the team did missions without Kakashi for a week. Hiruzen had scolded Kakashi for not being responsible. Kakashi was now back to the form he had when he was ANBU Commander.

The Jonin had trained them in teamwork, chakra control and taught them elemental jutsu. They began chakra control training when the other two saw Naruto walking on a tree with his feet. They soon successful completed the water walking exercise. Sakura already finished the kunai balancing with Sasuke and Naruto close to finishing.

Sasuke was improving on the Uchiha Interceptor style by being more fluid. He was too rigid before and that cost him some speed. Sasuke had a major lightning with a minor fire affinity. Kakashi was glad that one of his students' had an affinity for his primary element. Kakashi taught Sasuke one fire jutsu: **Katon: ****Housenka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Mythical Fire Phoenix Technique)** and two lightning jutsu: **Raiton: ****Rakurai no Jutsu (Lightning Release: Lightning Bolt Technique) **and **Raiton: Raikou Hitofuki no Jutsu (Lightning Release: Lightning Blast Technique)**.

Sakura's element was Doton so Kakashi taught her an offensive and a defensive Jutsu: **Doton: Iwa Tounyuu no Jutsu (Earth Release: Rock Throw Technique) **and **Doton: Doroku Gaeshi (Earth Release: Rock Shield)**. Thanks to Sakura's excellent chakra control, she was admitted to the medical program. She was learning medical jutsu and received help from Naruto on the human anatomy. Her physical abilities were slowly getting better and she was no longer dieting.

Kakashi had not taught Naruto any jutsus since the blond had received a scroll from the Hokage. Naruto spent most of his time working on his chakra control since he had so much chakra. The jinchūriki had mastered the five E rank jutsus in the scroll. He decided to work on Fuuton mastery first and had already completed the first level. Cutting the leaf took a week to complete and now he was focusing on making the leaf soggy.

His Kenjutsu was getting better as he was now able to last several minutes against Yugao or Hayate. His Taijutsu was still a work in process as he was finding it difficult to strike the pressure points accurately and with force. Naruto fuinjutsu stopped at level five since that was the last of Jiraiya's books. He was able to make his own simple seals but he had to wait for Jiraiya before he could dive in the more complex stuff. Although, his seals were better than the ones sold in stores.

The door opened to reveal an old man carrying a bottle of sake. "So this is the team I hired with my precious money." Tazuna sneered at Team 7.

"I assure you Tazuna-san that my team can handle any bandits we come across on the way to your home." Kakashi assured the client as he turned to his team. "You guys pack for a month and meet at the gate in 10 minutes." The trio left to get their additional supplies while Kakashi escorted Tazuna to the main gates.

When they left, a chunin came in with an urgent message. "Hokage-sama all the invitations for the Chunin Exams have been accepted."

Hiruzen smiled before he processed what the chunin had said. "Did you say ALL the invitations, meaning Iwa and Kumo as well?" Hiruzen wanted some confirmation.

"Hai Hokage-sama they have accepted as well while Kiri has asked for permission to attend." The chunin told the Hokage.

"ANBU, call the council immediately and say the matter is of an upmost importance. I expect them to be in the meeting room in five minutes or there will be punishments." Hiruzen order the ANBU, who immediately left to gather the council members. The chunin was quickly dismissed while Hiruzen left his room. This Chunin Exams could possible be the first time ever that the five great nations were gathered.

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><p><strong>Reviews:<strong>

**APieceOfPie4Everyone011 **– I explained in the PM but I will explain here as well. Kakazu will be a difficult opponent for Naruto but Naruto might face his with a team or he might not even face him at all. I am just loosely following the canon storyline.

**midnightblupuppy – **I will try my best to.

**bankerjoe13 – **Thanks for voting.

**NinjaFang1331 **– Thanks for the support and this chapter answered your questions.

**Ryuujin96 **– I have looked up pressure point martial arts but they all portray it differently. I hope I do the style justice. Neji's attitude will slowly change as a person can't change overnight. I try to make this story as original as possible while following the canon loosely. Thanks for the votes and I also have a reason for the girls to share Naruto.

**Illuminated** – Thank you but the obstacles will coming during or after the Chunin Exams. Heck the next chapter might show that Naruto isn't strong, I don't know since I haven't written it yet. I try to portray Naruto as someone who is constantly underestimated so he could win.

**emilbootanimefreak – **You got your wish! Sakura and Sasuke will get stronger but they won't be godly strong. I plan to progress them slowly along with Naruto.

**Please Read my stuff** – I never watched/read Young Justice before so sorry about not reading your stuff. Good luck with writing though. Thanks for reading my story. I'm a fan of Naruto stories that make Naruto progress so it reflects in my writing.

**BelleArcher **– I have actually read a lot of fanfiction with Shikamaru with an important role, Shino not so much. I think they help Naruto greatly since both are very smart. Thanks for reading.

**gual1 **– Thanks for the encouragement. Do you mind if I ask why you say byes at the end? Is that your thing? I am really curious since I figured you would say bye instead of byes.

**BBWulf **– As much as there is potential in bashing Sasuke and Sakura, I would rather not. I would rather have them grow up.

**felixgi** – Um thanks for voting but you were only allowed two votes by reviews. You did get half your girls in the harem, if 'fun' was actually meant to be 'Fu'.

**Deltablacknaruto** – Thanks for the suggestions. I was already planned to use all of them but you actually gave me some help with the **Kaze Bunshin.** Thanks for that.

**Apedreitor **– Summons would be used more frequently since it is a primary C-Rank Jutsu. I honestly never understood why Naruto rarely used summons in canon. His perverted jutsu will come when he meets Jiraiya again. Jiraiya will actually help create the **Oiroke no Jutsu** this time around.

**ladygoddess8 **– Thank you for reading.

**Jutsu List:**

**Raiton: Raikou Hitofuki no Jutsu (Lightning Release: Lightning Blast Technique)** – C rank  
>This jutsu is similar to Cole's shockwave from the game Infamous. It is a great series if you haven't played it before.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

**-I have finished editing this chapter and all the previous chapters. Please tell me if you spot any mistakes.  
><strong>

**A.N.**

Many of my readers have reached out to me by either PMs or reviews and expressed their concerns about Naruto's ability to fight the opponents that appear after the time skip. After talking to several readers, I decided to split up my story. 'Master of the Basics' will cover everything before the training trip with Jiraiya while the sequel will be about the training trip and everything after it. This story will still be the same as Naruto will only learn C rank and under jutsus. The sequel will then focus on him learning the higher ranked jutsu.

I will like to give personal shout outs to **Deltablacknaruto **and **Ryuujin96 **because they helped me decide how to proceed with this story. I will try to edit my earlier chapters soon because several reviewers have said that it is confusing when characters are speaking. To the guest that told me that I am not allowed to reply to reviews, I have not read anywhere that states that I can't. Also I am continuing my Fairy Tail story, **Team Cana **after a few fans requested that I continue it. That means I won't have a timetable for updates since I am not writing two stories. Sorry about that but I hope to have your continued support.

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><p><strong>Chapter 7: Ice Maiden<strong>

Hiruzen walked at a brisk pace towards the council chambers. As he entered the room, the entire council was already seated and was waiting for the Hokage. "Thank you all for coming at such a short notice. I have called the council to discuss the upcoming Chunin Exams. There is a chance that all five Great Shinobi Nations will be participating in it." Hiruzen immediately brought up the matter so that it can be discussed.

Uproar erupted inside the chambers as everyone began speaking at once. This could be the greatest or worst in history depending on how it goes. "Quiet!" The Hokage shouted to gather everyone's attention. "We are not little children; we are to discuss this in an orderly manner." Hiruzen's voice was one of authority.

Shikaku raised his hand to talk. "Hokage-sama, may I ask why Iwa, Kiri, and Kumo are coming to the Chunin Exams? It is suspicious as they are not our allies." Shikaku voiced his concern. The Hokage acknowledge the suspicion as a knock came from the door. Hiruzen told the person from behind the door to come in. Stepping into the room was ANBU Dragon.

"Hokage-sama, we have just received a message from Daimyo-sama." Dragon spoke. Hiruzen raised an eyebrow before accepting the parchment from Dragon. The Hokage read the contents and a frown was formed on his face.

"Thank you Dragon, you may return to your post." Hiruzen dismissed the ANBU before returning his attention to the council. "To answer your question Shikaku, it seems that our Daimyo asked the other Daimyos to make their villages participate in the Chunin Exams. Daimyo-sama wanted to make the exams the biggest event in recent history. He succeeded in convincing the other Daimyos and that is why Kiri, Kumo, and Iwa will be participating." Hiruzen explained.

Several council members wanted to protest the decision but they knew it would be futile. No one, not even the Hokage, can override a Daimyo's orders. "Since we now know why they are participating, I want to discuss our plans for the Chunin Exams." Hiruzen said. Everyone mentally sighed as they knew it was going to be a long day.

***Back with Team 7***

Team 7 plus Tazuna were walking towards their destination. Team 7 was currently in a diamond formation with Tazuna in the middle. Kakashi manned the top, Naruto and Sakura on the sides, and Sasuke in the back. Sakura was trying to have a conversation with Sasuke but he kept on giving short replies. Naruto was asking Tazuna questions about Wave to get a general idea of the area. Kakashi was of course reading his favorite book, Icha Icha Paradise.

"Kakashi-sensei, do you expect enemy ninjas on this mission?" Sakura asked her sensei. Kakashi lifted his head from his book and turned to face Sakura.

"Generally, a C-Rank mission encounters bandits and thieves. If we were to encounter rogue ninjas, then this mission will be upgraded to a B-Rank mission." Kakashi answered. He and Naruto noticed a slight flinch from Tazuna. Kakashi eyed Tazuna suspiciously but decided that it was nothing important.

As they continued walking, Naruto saw a puddle on the side of the road. _'Why is there a puddle when the ground is dry?_' Naruto wondered since the ground underneath his feet wasn't soggy. Naruto turned to his sensei to voice his suspicion but Kakashi gave him an eye smile to assure that everything was fine. Just as Kakashi turned back around, chains wrapped his body. The chains tighten around the Jonin's body and Kakashi was ripped into shreds.

The Genins were shocked as turned their attentions to the assailants. Sakura let out a scream while Naruto and Sasuke prepared for action. "Sakura, snap out it and go with Plan S." Sasuke tried to get out of her stupor.

Over the course of the four months, Team 7 had made several battle strategies to use when facing different enemies. Plan S was used when Kakashi was unable to assist in battle and there was more than one enemy. The person nearest the client would protect the client while providing range support. The other two would fight the enemies off in hopes that Kakashi recovered in time.

Gozu and Meizu pulled their chains back and rushed towards Tazuna. Sakura, although shocked, got in front of Tazuna and fired her jutsu. "**Doton:**** Doroku Gaeshi (Earth Release: Rock Shield)**." Sakura raised an earth wall a few feet in front of the two missing nins, causing Gozu and Meizu to split in two different directions. Naruto and Sasuke intercepted them as they split.

"**Raiton: ****Rakurai no Jutsu (Lightning Release: Lightning Bolt Technique)**." Sasuke fired a lightning bolt at Meizu while Naruto threw an explosive tag at Gozu. Both Chunins jumped in the air to dodge the attacks.

"**Doton: Iwa Tounyuu no Jutsu (Earth Release: Rock Throw Technique)**." Naruto and Sakura both shouted as two fist sized rocks hit both Gozu and Meizu in mid-air. The missing nins fell from the sky and were quickly wrapped in chains. They looked up to see Kakashi.

"Great job team, you panicked but you were able to regain your bearings and defeat the enemies while keeping your client safe." Kakashi praised his team as he tied the missing nin duo to a tree. "Now I will like our client to explain why we have two Chunin level missing ninjas attacking us. Our job description was to protect you from bandits." Kakashi glared at Tazuna. Tazuna quickly told them about the situation in Wave and about Gato.

"I'm sorry for lying but you have to understand that I had to do whatever it took to help my country." Tazuna said desperately. He needed them to come with him. He was his country's best hope in finding help.

"Because of your lying, my squad could have gotten killed. Were you going to take responsibility for their deaths?" Kakashi said angrily. He was not going to risk his team because the client decided to give them misinformation. Tazuna looked down in shame. He had planned to guilt trip the team into going with him but he forgot that even ninjas were human. They didn't want to die as much as the next person.

"Kakashi-sensei, I would like to continue this mission. It will leave a bad taste in my mouth if I abandoned my mission and allowed a tyrant to rule their country." Naruto told his sensei. Tazuna looked up with hope in his eyes. Meanwhile, Kakashi looked over his team and debated whether to continue this mission.

"Do you two feel the same way as Naruto?" The Copy nin asked his other two students. Sasuke nodded since he didn't want a failed mission on his track record. Although hesitate at first, Sakura nodded since she wanted to help the country. Kakashi inwardly sighed as his team outnumbered him. "Tazuna-san, you are lucky that my lovely Genins have decided to continue this mission." The Jonin said with an eye smile.

Tazuna bowed and thank the Genins for their kind hearts. "Kakashi-sensei, I think we should ask for backup." Naruto suggested to his sensei. Kakashi nodded at the suggestion. "I agree since we are likely to face a jonin level missing nin." Kakashi summoned Pakkun as he was talking. "I am curious on why you want us to request backup though." He finished as he handed a parchment to Pakkun.

Kakashi gave the ninken his orders and Pakkun dispelled to send the message to Konoha. "These two are Gozu and Meizu, missing ninjas from Kirigakure. According to the bingo book, they escaped Kirigakure with Momochi Zabuza after they failed to assassinate the Yondaime Mizukage. It is safe to assume that they are still working with Zabuza." Naruto gave out his deduction.

Kakashi was surprised at Naruto's analytic skills to guess they would face Zabuza. It is better to know your opponent rather than being in the dark. "Great job Naruto but let's ask these two to make sure." Kakashi said as he turned and walked to the captured duo. "I will ask you this once, who are you working for?" Kakashi asked threateningly. Both Gozu and Meizu turned away and ignored the jonin.

"Kakashi-sensei you aren't doing it right. Look this is what the crazy snake lady from T&I told me." Naruto said as he gestured Kakashi to bend down. When Kakashi bent down to Naruto's height, the blonde began whispering into the Jonin's ear. Gozu and Meizu watched as Kakashi's visible eye turned to shock. It quickly morphed to disgust and then settled on a sadistic expression. The missing nin were horrified. The thoughts of what the boy was telling the Jonin scared them.

"W-wait we'll tell you! We work for Gato and he hired us to kill the bridge builder." Gozu quickly replied. "Are you working alone or is someone else working with you?" Kakashi asked while keeping the same expression. "It is like the blonde brat said; we are working with Zabuza and his apprentice." Meizu answered as he cowered under Kakashi's gaze. Kakashi then gave them an eye smile.

"Thanks for the help boys, ANBU will arrive shortly to pick you up." Kakashi said in a friendly tone as he and Naruto walked back to the others. _'Man all Naruto told me was to change my facial expressions and those two were shitting themselves.' _Kakashi thought as he made a mental note not to piss off his student.

The group continued their travels as they discussed their plans on what to do when they encounter Zabuza. "Alright team lets go with this. I will create **Raikou Bunshins** (**Lightning Clones)** and have them **Henge** into each of us. Sasuke and Sakura will stay back with Tazuna while Naruto and I meet the enemy. Naruto will hide in the woods while I engage the enemy. After I manage to successfully separate the enemies, Naruto will attach his Chakra Suppression Seal on one of them and help me attack the other one." Kakashi explained the plan to his team.

After he finished, he saw the scowl on Sasuke's face. "Why does the dobe get to do it and not me?" Sasuke asked in disapproval. "I'm the Rookie of the Year and an elite Uchiha. He is not better than me." The Uchiha fumed at not being picked. Sakura wanted to come to Sasuke's defense but she found it hard to. She thought Kakashi's plan was solid as Naruto was famous for his stealth skills.

"Maa Maa, no one here said that Naruto is better than you. He just has a certain skill set that helps pull off this plan. I trust that Naruto is able to pull this off. If you don't approve, then maybe you have a better idea that we can use." Kakashi said as didn't want to deal with Sasuke's temper.

"I say that we just face them head on. I will take on the apprentice while Kakashi-sensei takes on Zabuza. The dobe and Sakura will protect Tazuna while providing backup." Sasuke explained his plan to the group.

'_You would think he realizes that Naruto is no dobe by now. He is too caught up in his pride and here I thought the team was finally breaking through to him.' _Kakashi thought as he frowned at his student. "Let's take a vote. Who thinks we should go with Sasuke's plan?" Kakashi asked. Sasuke instantly raised his hand and waited for Sakura's hand to go up. Although hesitantly, Sakura slowly put her hand up to make her crush happy.

Kakashi frowned at this action. _'Old habits never truly die. When we get to somewhere safe, I'll need to talk to them individually again.' _Kakashi was glad that his mask covered his frowning face. "Tazuna-san, since it is even, can I ask what plan you prefer?" Kakashi asked. Tazuna was caught like a deer in headlights.

"Um, I prefer the one that offers me more protection." The bridge builder replied since he wasn't paying attention. The team deadpanned since both plans essentially offered the two genin protection.

"Fine we will go with Sasuke's plan but if it backfires, you are going to be punished." Kakashi gave in since he didn't want to deal with it any longer. Sasuke smirked at his victory and settled back into his post. Naruto didn't really comment as he just observed his surroundings. Sakura was unsure if she made the right decision.

They made their way to a fisherman who took them across the water. As the boat weaved through the water, a bridge came into view. "Wow, is that the bridge you are building Tazuna-san?" Naruto asked quietly.

"She is a thing of beauty, isn't she? When this bridge is finished, Gato will no longer have a monopoly over us." Tazuna said with a voice full of hope. Team 7 quietly admired the man's work.

After a couple of minutes, they landed on the shore and continued their journey to Wave. As they were walking, Kakashi sensed two presences ahead. "Stop team, get into Manji Formation." Kakashi ordered everyone to halt and the Genins did as ordered. "You can come out now." Kakashi said to the presence ahead.

Soon a towering figure came from the clearing. "No wonder Gozu and Meizu failed, they were up against **Sharingan no Kakashi**." Zabuza announced his presence. Sasuke was startled by the moniker. _'He has a Sharingan? That is impossible since only I and the traitor are the last Uchiha left.' _Sasuke wanted to ask but decided it wasn't the appropriate time. Naruto knew about it since Kakashi was in the Bingo Book. Sakura slowly came into realization of what the moniker meant.

"Momochi Zabuza, **Kirigakure no Kijin (Demon of the Hidden Mist)**, we have been expecting you. Your friend can also come out now." Kakashi said as a masked nin appeared next to Zabuza.

"I am impressed you were able to locate Haku, his stealth is Jonin level." Zabuza commented since he had personally trained Haku so they can avoid hunter nin.

"Sorry but I regularly go up against someone whose stealth is way better. You are going to have to conceal your presence more." Kakashi said as left up his hitai-ate to reveal the Sharingan.

"I feel privileged that you already revealed the Sharingan. **Ninpon: Kirigakure no Jutsu (Ninja Art: Hidden in the Mist Technique)**." Zabuza decided that the time for talking was over and unleashed his jutsu.

Mist surrounded the area and visibility was short. Kakashi searched the mist for Zabuza or Haku, but the mist was making it difficult. Zabuza unleashed his KI to scare his opponents. Tazuna and the Genins began to shake in fear. Tazuna's knees threaten to give out but he was held up by a slightly shaking Naruto.

"Oh now that is quite impressive. One of your Genins seems to be handling my KI much better than the other two." Zabuza's booming voice echoed around them. "Too bad, that won't help, when I am killing them." Zabuza appeared in the middle of the group.

Kakashi turned his head around to get to his team when senbons flew towards him. Kakashi dodged but was unable to get to the group in time. Zabuza smirked as he lifted his sword and prepare to rotate 360 degrees. Naruto realized what was going to happen, pushed Tazuna out of harm's way.

"**Raiton: ****Seiteki Suji no Jutsu (****Lightning Release: ****Static Strings Technique)**." Naruto announced his technique as electric strings sprouted from his fingertips. He coiled the strings around Kubikiriboncho and was able to momentarily halt the motion. Sakura and Sasuke used that time to get out of the way. As the strings snapped under the force, Naruto jumped away and landed next to Tazuna. Zabuza finished his motion, only for no one to be in his radius.

"You lucky son of a bitch." Zabuza growled out as Kakashi appeared in front of him with kunais in his hands. Zabuza blocked the initial attack but was punctured by the second kunai. Zabuza's form dissolved into water to reveal a **Mizu Bunshin (Water Clone)**. Haku appeared behind Kakashi with senbons at the ready.

Haku's was intervened by Sakura raising a rock slab in front of Kakashi's back. "**Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)**." Sasuke released a fireball at Haku, who dodged the attack and escaped into the mist. Zabuza used that moment to appear in front of Kakashi and sliced him with Kubikiriboncho.

Kakashi's upper and lower body separated as water splashed in Zabuza's face. Zabuza's eyes widen as he realized that Kakashi was a **Mizu Bunshin. **Kakashi pressed a kunai to Zabuza's throat.

"You should give up, you cannot beat me." Kakashi advised his opponent. Zabuza smirked at Kakashi's threat.

"**Suiton:** **Sensatsu Suishō (Water Release: Thousand Flying Water Needle of Death)**." A voice came from the mist as thousands of needles pierced Zabuza and Kakashi. Zabuza turn into water to reveal another **Mizu Bunshin **while Kakashi coughed out blood. He was able to avoid most of the needles thanks to the Sharingan but he was still struck at several vital points.

"Kakashi you should be more aware of your surroundings." Zabuza said as he and Haku stepped out of the mist. "Give me the bridge builder and your team can stay alive." The missing nin demanded. Haku's eyes roamed the environment as she discovered something odd.

"Zabuza-sama, the blond is gone." Just as Haku pointed out the oddity to her master, Naruto appeared behind them from his **Kakuremino no Jutsu (Cloak of Invisibility Technique)**. He attached his Chakra Suppression Seal on Zabuza and fled before Haku can retaliate. Zabuza collapsed on his knees as he felt his chakra get drained.

"Zabuza maybe you should take your own advice." Kakashi said with a small smile. Haku was prepared to retaliate when a voice came from above.

"**Ninpon: Choju Giga (Ninja Art: ****Super Beast Imitating Drawing)**." Ink tigers rained from above and raced towards Haku. Haku realizing the danger, grabbed her master and **Shunshin** away. The ink splashed against the ground as the mist dispersed. The Root ANBU dropped down from the sky. "Root ANBU Sai, reporting as reinforcement." Sai said as he spoke to Kakashi.

Kakashi acknowledged the ANBU before turning to Tazuna. "Tazuna-san is your house close?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah we are almost there." Tazuna answered. Kakashi nodded as his body gave out. Naruto and Sai caught him before he fell.

"You could have been here a little sooner." Naruto chided to his little brother. Sai gave a small chuckle as Sakura came over and checked on Kakashi.

"He is suffering from chakra exhaustion and temporary paralysis from the needles." Sakura said as she finished analyzing Kakashi. The boys nodded as they prepared to drag Kakashi's bigger body to Tazuna's house. Tazuna lead the way as the group followed him. In five minutes, they arrived at their destination. Tazuna knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" A woman voice asked from behind the door.

"Tsunami, it's me. Open the door, we have someone wounded." Tazuna said as a woman with an apron on opened the door.

"Welcome home, father." Tsunami said as she hugged Tazuna. She then noticed the boys holding an older male.

"Excuse me, I am sorry to interrupt but do you have a room that we can borrow?" Sakura asked politely. Tsunami directed her towards the room as the boys lugged Kakashi onto the bed. Sai and Naruto exited the room so Sakura can have her space. Tsunami went into the kitchen to fetch a bowl of water and a towel. She handed the bowl to Sakura, who dipped the towel and then placed it on Kakashi's forehead.

They exited the room so Kakashi can sleep in peace. Sakura and Tsunami returned to the kitchen where Tazuna was drinking sake. "Father, you just come back and now you're drinking already." Tsunami complained to her father.

"I was just in a life and death situation, I believe I have the right to drink." Tazuna said as he chugged the bottle. Sakura surveyed the room to find her teammates on the couch. Naruto was chugging a glass of water while Sasuke was staring at his glass. Sai was leaning against the wall while surveying the house.

"Dobe, I need to talk to you in private." Sasuke said as he exited the house. Naruto looked at Sakura who had the same confused expression. The blond got up from the couch and exited the house as well. He spotted Sasuke leaning against a tree that was providing shade.

"What did you want to talk about?" Naruto asked as he sat down underneath the shade. Sasuke voice would not come out as he swallowed a lump of air.

"I want to apologize." Sasuke said. Naruto swerved his head to face the Uchiha and looked at him in disbelief. "Don't interrupt me and let me finish. I let my pride get to me and it almost cost all of our lives. When Zabuza released his killing intent, my body froze. We all would have died if you hadn't stopped his sword. Then when Kakashi was injured, you were able to stop Zabuza while I stood there and watched." Sasuke shoved his pride down the drain to say his next words.

"I am sorry for almost killing us and thank you for saving us N-Naruto." Sasuke bowed slightly to his teammates. Naruto was in shock since Sasuke called him Naruto and not dobe. Naruto grinned wide.

"No problem that is what teammates are for." Naruto said as he accepted the apology. Sasuke quickly straighten up and began leaving.

"Don't think I'm going to apologize again Dobe," Sasuke said with a small smile. Sasuke went back inside the house and left Naruto alone. Naruto was in a happy mood as Sasuke was slowly opening up to him. Sai came out of the house to prepare traps, in case Zabuza and Haku planned to attack. Naruto got up and began helping Sai.

***In Zabuza's and Haku's Hidden Cave***

"That fucking brat, I am going to kill him." Zabuza said as he was laid down on the bed. Haku was able to successfully release the seal but at the expense of most of her chakra. She sat on the bed panting as she tried to recover.

"Zabuza-sama you are suffering from major chakra exhaustion and minor injuries and I am suffering from minor chakra exhaustion. That seal he put on you drain most of your chakra as well as mine when I attempted to release it. It would take at least a week before we are combat ready." Haku explained to her master.

Zabuza gritted his teeth as his frustrations set in. Suddenly, a trio walked into their cave. "Ah the great **Kirigakure no Kijin **was defeated by some ninjas. I expected you would have been enough to kill a bridge builder. I guess I was wrong." Gato spoke as he got closer.

"There weren't just some ninjas, **Sharingan no Kakashi **was there." Zabuza barked from his prone position.

"I don't care if Kami was there. I hired you to kill the bridge builder and I expected for you to finish the job." Gato said as he inched closer to Zabuza. Haku was suddenly behind him with a needle to his throat.

"I suggest you leave before I kill you." Haku threatened the little man. Zori and Waraji attempted to pull out their swords but was halted when another Haku appeared behind them. "I suggest you don't do that." Haku recommended the two swordsmen.

"Don't think that this is over." Gato said as he and his men scurried away from the cave. After they left, Haku's **Mizu Bunshin **collapsed into a puddle of water. Haku felt her legs turn to jelly as she sat near Zabuza's bed.

"That was foolish Haku; I am able to handle Gato even in this state. There is no point if we both are chakra depleted." Zabuza scolded Haku for her actions.

"I know Zabuza-sama but we still need him alive for your ambitions. If he is dead, then we don't get the money you need." Haku advised her master. The master and tool sat there in silence as they slowly recovered.

***A day later***

Kakashi's eye slowly opened as he adjusted to the sudden intrusion of light. He looked around the room to find Sai on a chair next to his bed. "Looks like you are up Hatake-san; let me go get the others." Sai said as he left the room. After a minute he returned with the rest of Team 7. Sakura did a quick diagnostic on Kakashi's body.

"He still suffering from chakra exhaustion but he should be fully recovered in a week." Sakura said as she finished. Kakashi slowly got upright from his bed with Sakura's assistance.

"Here is the plan: Sasuke and Sai will guard Tazuna when he is building the bridge while Naruto and Sakura will be stationed here, just in case someone tries to attack his family. It will stay that way until I fully recover. As punishment for earlier Sasuke, you will do their guard duty." Kakashi said as he expected an outburst. Sasuke just silently nodded before exiting the room. Sai followed him as the two prepared to guard Tazuna.

"Okay Naruto and Sakura, I realized I have been neglecting you two for Sasuke and I would like to apologize. Here I am teaching about teamwork yet I am favoring a certain student. For that I would like to say I am sorry and I deeply regret it." Kakashi bowed as much as he could. Sakura and Naruto smiled at each other and accepted their sensei's apology.

Now Naruto, how long does your chakra suppression seal last?" Kakashi asked his student.

"My seal can only be released if I deactivate it or someone else tries to forcefully deactivate it by applying chakra to the seal. I'm guessing Haku would try to release it but he would be suffering from minor chakra exhaustion afterwards. Zabuza is in the same condition as you are in so I don't expect them to attack until a week later." Naruto explained.

"That gives me roughly a week to teach you guys something. Sakura I know that I have taught you an offensive and defensive jutsu for your Doton affinity. You have excellent chakra control and have been learning medical jutsu in the medical program. You have served well as our team's medic and support but I think we should focus on your weakness. You have a lack of confidence in yourself and your Taijutsu is that of an academy student. I am going to help increase you physical abilities while teaching you some katas from styles that I know." Kakashi said as he received a nod from Sakura.

"Naruto, to be honest, I don't know much of your skills. I know about your Taijutsu, Fuinjutsu, and stealth abilities." Kakashi really had been ignoring Naruto since he only knew what Naruto showed in battle or training.

"I was taught Kenjutsu by Hayate-sensei and we made an original style based on his **Konoha-Ryu (Leaf Style)**. It is called **Kage no Sasayaki Ryu (Shadow Whisper Style) **and it basically a hit and run style that emphasizes my stealth skills. I know the basic academy jutsus along with the five E-rank jutsus that Ji- I mean Hokage-sama gave me. I have mastered each jutsu as well as the first level of wind mastery. I am currently working on the first level of water mastery." Naruto explained his skills.

Sakura was confused what Naruto meant at the end while Kakashi was shocked that Naruto knew so much. "Can you tell me what all the jutsus you know are called, besides the Academy ones?" Kakashi asked.

"They are: **Fuuton: ****Hanpatsu Kaze no Jutsu (Retrieving Wind Technique),** **Suiton:** **Mizu Kagami no Jutsu (Water Mirror Technique), Raiton: Seiteki Suji no Jutsu (Static Strings Technique), Katon: Ichi (One), Doton: Iwa Tounyuu no Jutsu (Rock Throw Technique)**." Naruto told his sensei.

'_All those jutsus are supplementary beside the Doton jutsu. __**Hanpatsu no Jutsu**__ is mainly used to pull objects closer. __**Mizu Kagami no Jutsu**__ is used see what is around you. __**Ichi **__is used to light small flames. __**Seiteki Suji no Jutsu**__ is used for scouting but Naruto was able to use it to temporarily stop Zabuza's Kubikiriboncho. Naruto seems to find a way to find creative uses for them." _Kakashi silently thought.

"I am impressed that you know jutsus from five different elements. This will make it easier for you to learn the jutsu I am going to teach you. I think your weak point is that you currently don't have a defense jutsu or an offensive jutsu. I have some jutsus that will complement your style while sort of addressing both issues. I am going to teach you all five elemental Bunshins." Kakashi said as he gave him an eye smile.

"That's great Kakashi-sensei; I wanted to learn it when I saw you and Zabuza use **Mizu Bunshin**!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Alright let's get some breakfast before we head off to train." The Jonin was helped by his students as they headed down the stairs. They ate breakfast with Tsunami and Inari since Tazuna had already left for the bridge. Inari was glaring at the ninjas throughout the entire breakfast. Kakashi asked if Tsunami could provide him with a crutch when they finished eating. Tsunami gave him a leftover one that Tazuna used when he had injured his foot. The trio of ninjas went into the woods to train.

"Alright I will explain the difference of the Bunshins so make sure you listen. Sakura you should listen as well since you will be able to make **Iwa Bunshin**." Kakashi addressed his students. "Unlike regular bunshins, elemental bunshins can attack as they are real. They only possess a tenth of the power of the original though. That being said they have a variety of uses such as scouting and diversions. If they go too far from the original they will dispel so think carefully before using them." Kakashi said before he continued.

"All elemental bunshins are different in their abilities and how they dispel. **Kaze Bunshin **is faster than the other bunshins and when they dispel, small cyclones appear to attack your opponents. **Mizu Bunshin **is more evasive since they have more flexibility and when they dispel they temporarily blind your opponent with water. **Raikou Bunshin **is more powerful with Ninjutsu techniques and when they dispel, they electrocute anyone is the vicinity. **Kaji Bunshin **is the stronger version of the other bunshins and when they dispel they causes a small explosion. **Iwa Bunshin **is the most durable as they are able to survive two attacks before dispelling and when they dispel, pieces of rock scatter in every direction. Each Bunshin is capable of performing a single jutsu if it is their element and only if the original knows it as well." Kakashi finished his explanation.

Both Sakura and Naruto processed this new information. They looked at their sensei when they finished and Kakashi taught them the hand seals. Naruto started with the **Kaze Bunshin **while Sakura worked on the **Iwa Bunshin**. After a couple of hours, Naruto continued to train on the elemental bunshins while Sakura was performing katas from different Taijutsu styles. While watching Sakura train, he thought of an idea for her but it would have to wait until they were back in Konoha.

Tazuna returned home as the sun was setting with Sasuke and Sai. Naruto and Sakura finished their training and went upstairs to get washed up. The dinner was peaceful as Naruto complimented Tsunami's cooking. Tazuna and Kakashi were making idle chat about a variety of topics. Sakura, Sai, and Sasuke talked about what Sai had been doing in Root and how Team 7 was doing. All the chatter was interrupted when Inari slammed his hands on the table.

"How can all of you laugh and joke around when you are going to die?" Inari shouted at the ninjas. "All the training you do is pointless against Gato because he is going to kill you. I bet none of you know how hard life is." Inari berated Team 7 and Sai. Sakura was confused at the sudden outburst. Sai and Kakashi silently ate while tuning out the kid's words. Sasuke and Naruto were pissed but they were able to control their anger.

Inari stormed off and went to his room. Everyone continued to eat when Sakura spotted a photo on the wall. "Tsunami-san why is part of that picture cut off?" She asked. Tsunami and Tazuna bodies' shook when the Genin asked. Sakura realized that it was a sore topic so she tried to dismiss it.

"That person was my husband and Inari's stepfather." Tsunami said as she told the shinobi about Kaiza and what Gato did to him. At the end of the tale, everyone was solemn and silently finished dinner. As Team 7 was helping Tsunami clean up, Sai went up to Kakashi.

"Kakashi-san, I have a proposal on how to deal with Zabuza." Sai told the Jonin. Kakashi's visible eye widen as he took in what he was told.

"We can talk about it later after we helped finish cleaning up." Kakashi told the Root agent. After everything was cleaned, Team 7 plus Sai went into Kakashi's room. Kakashi briefed his team that Sai had a proposal. The Copy nin motion for Sai to start.

"My plan is for us to kidnap Gato and persuade Zabuza to cancel his contract. Gato is a shrewd man and is known for not keeping his end of the deal. If we can find evidence that Gato is trying to cheat Zabuza, we can avoid a confrontation. Even if we don't find any, we have information that Zabuza would like to know. In Zabuza's bingo book entry, it states that he fought the Yondaime Mizukage in order to overthrow him. He failed and has been constantly hounded by hunter nins since. Although not many people know this, the rebels had successfully defeated the Mizukage and won the civil war. He would then have less of an incentive to actually fight now that he can return home." Sai told them the gist of his plan.

"Okay now that sounds good but how are you planning to execute this plan?" Kakashi asked Sai with curiosity.

"Like most Root members, I have skills in espionage. I can bring my paintings to life and use them to scout areas or to gather information. It should take me a couple of days to pinpoint Gato's location and how much forces he has with him. I will also be able to dig up some information that could be useful to us. We have three people here that I am confident that they can sneak in and grab Gato before sneaking back out." Sai said as he pointed to Naruto, Kakashi, and himself.

Team 7 all began to laugh or chuckle, much to Sai's confusion. Naruto seeing that Sai was wondering why they were laughing, decide to tell his younger brother. "You see Sai, your plan is sort of similar to the one Kakashi-sensei came up with earlier. It was just ironic that we were going to do that kind of plan in the end." Naruto explained.

Sai nodded even though he didn't really understand. He went back to discussing the plan to Team 7. "After we kidnap Gato, we wait until Zabuza appears on the bridge since it would take a while for him to recover. We then try to negotiate with him and if that don't work we will have to fight them." Sai concluded.

"Okay, Sai for now we will follow your plan so begin sending out your scouts to gather information. Until then we will wait." Kakashi dismissed his team for the night. Naruto stayed behind and asked Kakashi if he could go train. Kakashi agreed as long as Naruto returned before sun up tomorrow. Naruto agreed and left the house to head into the woods. Naruto worked on his first level water mastery until he successfully finished it. Naruto promptly passed out on the grass and fell asleep.

***Morning***

Haku was slowly walking around in the woods to gather herbs for Zabuza. She was still feeling the effects of chakra exhaustion but she was still able to move around. As she arrived to a clearing, she spotted yellow grass. Haku was confused by this sight so she walked closer until she saw that the yellow grass was actually human hair. She immediately recognized that shade of yellow belonging to Konoha nin.

Naruto was already up as he heard footsteps walking to him. The steps were silent like a trained shinobi. The figure stopped a couple of feet from Naruto as if they were examining him. They slowly walked to Naruto and were a few inches away from him. Naruto was preparing to **Kawarimi** in case he was attacked. "Hey you shouldn't be sleeping out here." A soft voice called out to Naruto.

Naruto opened his eyes to see a feminine face staring at him. Naruto lightly blushed since he had never been woken up by a female before. "Sorry I was training last night and I must have passed out." Naruto said while he examined the female in front of him. She was wearing a pink kimono that adorned her body. "What are you doing out here so early? It is dangerous especially with Gato around." Naruto asked to get a reaction.

"I am here to collect herbs for my friend that is injured. Since it is early in the morning, I don't have to worry about Gato." Haku half lied to Naruto.

"Well how about I help you?" Naruto asked to which Haku nodded. Haku showed Naruto what herb to look for and the two spent five minutes gathering the herbs. Naruto placed the herbs he gathered into Haku's basket. "I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Uzumaki Naruto; it is nice to meet you Haku-san." Naruto introduced himself.

Haku promptly froze in place when Naruto said her name. "I am sorry but Haku is not my name. I am afraid you mistaken me for someone else." Haku replied nervously.

"No need to put up the act anymore. I knew you were the hunter nin from the other day when you approached me. Your footsteps are too quiet to be a civilian's. You are gathering herbs to help soothe Zabuza's wounds and that also explains why you are not afraid of Gato. What I want to know is why you didn't attack me when I was asleep?" Naruto picked apart Haku's civilian act.

Resigning to her fate, Haku sat down on the soft grass. "I am currently carrying only a few senbons on me. Even if I was to attack you and seriously injure you, I wouldn't have been able to escape. Releasing your seal took most of my chakra so you or your teammates would be able to defeat me in my weaken state." Haku said. Naruto sat on the grass as well.

"I notice you said injure not kill. I know for sure there are several areas where a human could be attacked and killed even by a senbon. After all I studied human anatomy so I know my stuff." Naruto said with a grin. Haku was surprised at the blonde's knowledge.

"You are correct. Even though I am a ninja, I don't enjoy the fact that I have to kill. I prefer to neutralize my opponents so they can't retaliate. I must say I didn't expect you to be intelligent." Haku chuckled slightly, forgetting that she was talking to the enemy.

"I get that a lot. I had to train my brain and body a lot to be where I am today. I was not always this knowledgeable." Naruto said softly as he remembered Mikoto.

"Why do you strive to become stronger?" Haku asked before continuing. "Do you have a goal you are trying to attain?"

Naruto thought for a few seconds. "I guess the reason I initially became stronger is to become Hokage. In my village, I was always ignored for one reason or another. I wanted to become Hokage so that everyone will acknowledge me. Slowly people are starting to acknowledge my existence so I guess I don't know if being Hokage is my goal anymore." Naruto said as a smile grew on his face.

"The reason I want to become strong is to protect my precious people. If they weren't in my life, I wouldn't know what to do. I think a person can only grow stronger the more they want to protect their precious people." Haku stated her reason. Naruto liked that logic.

"You know that makes a lot of sense. I am starting to have people that are precious to me and I want to protect them. The only way I can protect them if I become stronger." Naruto said as he smiled at Haku. They sat in comfortable silence as the sun continued to rise in the sky. Haku got up from her position and grabbed the basket.

"It was nice to talk to you Naruto-san but I have to go before Zabuza-sama gets worried." Haku bowed slight and turned to leave.

"Tell Zabuza that we don't have a reason to fight. The civil war in Kirigakure is over. He has no reason to hide from hunter nins any longer. He can go home if he wishes, if he doesn't want to go back then I'm pretty sure Konoha will accept you two. I personally know the Hokage so I can vouch for you guys." Naruto told Haku.

"Why are you telling me this? For all you know, Zabuza-sama is a bloody thirsty killer and I am his follower." Haku said.

"Even if you were, I don't want to fight you. Haku-san you seem like a nice person that had a horrible past. I can see it in your eyes since they are just like mines once was." The blond explained. Haku stared at him in disbelief but she also saw the sadness in his eyes.

'_I guess we are alike in that regard. If what he said is true then Zabuza-sama and I no longer have to flee from place to place.'_ Haku thought in optimism. "I will relay the message to Zabuza-sama, Naruto-san." Haku replied.

"Call me Naruto; I was never one for honorifics among friends." He told Haku. Haku laughed lightly at the blonde's friendliness.

"Hai Naruto and you may call me Haku. By the way I am a boy, just in case you thought otherwise." Haku said as she watched Naruto's reaction. Naruto was shocked at the sight of such a beautiful boy before he began laughing.

"That was a good joke Haku-_chan_. You almost got me there." Naruto said as he emphasized the chan part.

"I am in fact a boy." Haku denied the claim that she was female. Zabuza taught her that hiding her identity was crucial since females are looked down upon.

"Maybe there is a reason you are hiding your gender, but I can tell the difference between a guy and girl. Plus I can see your chest bindings." Naruto said as Haku blushed and wrapped her arm around her chest. "Gotcha so you are a girl." Naruto laughed as Haku was embarrassed that she was tricked.

"A-Anyway I better be on my way, I hope the next time we see each other, it won't be as enemies Naruto." Haku said as she turned around.

"Bye Haku-chan, I hope that Zabuza accepts our offer." Naruto teased before heading back to Tazuna's house. Haku lightly blushed before she headed off as well.

Naruto made his way through the trees and spotted Tazuna's house from the distance. He quietly entered the house so that he wouldn't wake anyone. There on the couch to greet him was Kakashi. "I thought I told you to be back before the sun came up, do you know how worried I was?" The Jonin scolded his student.

"I'm sorry Kakashi-sensei, I was exhausted after training and I fell asleep in the woods. I forgot to come back late night." Naruto apologized for making his sensei worried.

"Naruto it is fine if you do this in Konoha, but out on the field that attitude could get you killed. What if enemies found you and attacked you when you were sleeping?" Kakashi asked hypothetically.

"Ha-ha well actually the enemy did find me and we talked a bit." Naruto chuckled nervously.

Kakashi was flabbergasted that Naruto was found by the enemy. He was only saying hypothetically not for it to be true. "Tell me what exactly happened." Kakashi ordered seriously but there was a hint of concern mixed in. Naruto told Kakashi the story on how he met Haku and what they talked about.

"I then offered Zabuza and her sanctuary in Konohagakure if they didn't want to go back to Kirigakure." Naruto finished. Kakashi had to hold back a sign from escaping his mouth.

'_I swear Naruto is too trusting in people. It is like he sees only the good in people like how sensei…does." _A sudden realization struck down on Kakashi. He studied Naruto repeatedly and took in Naruto's features. _'That hair and those eyes are the exact replica like Minato-sensei's but his child is dead. It was reported that the child died with Kushina-sama but how was it possible that Naruto look so much like sensei? I need to ask Hokage-sama as soon as I get back." _Kakashi was unsure what he would do if he found out the truth.

One side of him hoped that Naruto was sensei's son. After his father died, Minato had taken care of Kakashi and treated him like a son. That would make Naruto as a little brother of sorts. It would give Kakashi hope that the people he cared about weren't all dead. On the other hand, he also hoped Naruto just happened to look like Minato. After all, he was never in the boy's life until recently. He had seen the terrible acts of violence that the civilians and ninjas inflicted on Naruto when he was still in ANBU. He sometimes stood there and watched as Naruto screamed for them to stop hurting him before he intervened.

"Kakashi-sensei, hey Kakashi-sensei, are you in there?" Naruto asked as he waved a hand in front of the Copy nin. Kakashi broke away from his thoughts.

"Anyway Naruto that was risky since you couldn't have known Haku's intentions. This time nothing bad happened but be more careful next time; there are people that will harm others for no reason." Kakashi told Naruto. _'Even if he isn't sensei's son, he is still my student.' _Kakashi genuinely smiled at his student, though Naruto couldn't see it because of the mask.

***A few days later***

It was almost a week since Zabuza had attacked Team 7 near Wave. Kakashi was gathering his gear and double checking to make sure he had everything. Kakashi had regained most of his strength from the battle. He had begun helping with Tazuna's guard duty, relieving Sai and Sasuke from their misery. Sasuke had gotten closer to his teammates as he would now strike up conversations. He even asked Naruto and Sakura for spars and gave them tips on their training.

Naruto and Sakura had completed most of their training during the week. Sakura had yet to find a Taijutsu style that suited her. Kakashi told her that she possessed a high amount of natural strength. He suggested that she seek out her own teacher like Naruto had done with Gai. He recommended Tsunade since Sakura was already studying under her and Tsunade's Taijutsu required extreme chakra control as well as brute strength.

Naruto was able to learn all the elemental bunshins. He was now working on mastering them while also working on his fire mastery. The burning of the leaf proved to be a difficult obstacle. Even though he had expected it would be hard, he was not expecting this. Naruto also worked on polishing his Taijutsu and Kenjutsu as he didn't want his skills to diminish.

Sai had successfully gathered enough information on Gato. Gato's headquarters was located to the northwest of Wave. Gato had hired 200 mercenaries in hopes of getting rid of Zabuza and Tazuna. Team 7 was to strike Gato's headquarters tonight in a two part attack. Team 7 will be the decoy and try to defeat as many of the mercenaries as possible. Sai would then go and kidnap Gato while the enemy was distracted.

Inari had apologized to the shinobi after he was scolded by Tsunami. Kakashi took the liberty of telling Tazuna and Tsunami on the lives of his students. After hearing of their lives, Inari regretted his shouting and vowed to be like Kaiza. Kakashi had finished suiting up for the night assault on Gato's base. He exited the room and headed out the door, to find his team waiting for him. Sai had went on ahead to personally scout the area.

Team 7 had already said their goodbyes to Tazuna and his family. They made their way towards the unfinished bridge. At the end of the bridge, two figures stood in their way. "It is about time you got here Kakashi." Zabuza announced as he and Haku stepped into the moon's light. "I was wondering if what that little brat told Haku was true." He asked while pointing to Naruto.

Kakashi eyed the duo cautiously, looking for a sign of an attack. Seeing nothing, Kakashi relaxed his posture. "What Naruto said to your apprentice was true. The civil war in Kirigakure is over with the rebels winning. Konohagakure will also offer you sanctuary if you choose not to return to Kiri."

Kakashi didn't exactly hold any power regarding missing nin hoping to join the village. That power belonged to the Hokage and the council; he could only provide evidence to support the missing nin's cause. As long as Zabuza didn't know that, they would be able to avoid trouble. Plus Konohagakure would gladly welcome one of the seven swordsman of the mist and his apprentice.

"Who is the Mizukage?" Zabuza asked since he was still skeptical to all of this.

"The current Mizukage goes by the name of Terumi Mei." Kakashi informed. Team 7 noticed how Zabuza seem to freeze as the name was said. He was muttering things like 'shit she is going to kill me when she finds me', 'why did they make that temperamental bitch Mizukage', and 'I need to run as far away as possible'. Haku was confused by her master's demeanor as he wasn't afraid of anyone.

"A-are you possible you got that name right?" Zabuza voice was shaking as he asked the question. Kakashi nodded as he was surprised that Zabuza's tough guy act disappeared. "Well Haku looks like we are going to be Leaf nin soon." The swordsman told his disciple. Haku was shocked at the turn of events. She was going to have a new life.

Naruto inwardly cheered that his friend will be coming back to Konohagakure with them. He flashed a smile to Haku to show his happiness. Sasuke and Sakura didn't have much input in the decision. Kakashi was just happy that the mission got easier.

"The only problem we have is my contract with Gato. I am a man that carries out my duty so I still have to kill the bridge builder." Zabuza grabbed the handle of Kubikiriboncho.

"What if I tell you that Gato had hired 200 mercenaries in hopes of killing you and our client?" Kakashi said as he threw a piece of paper to Zabuza that Sai had snatched from Gato's files. Zabuza caught it and read the contents. The paper was seemed authentic and it even had Gato's signature on it.

"Looks like I have a little man to kill." Zabuza said as tore the paper into shreds.

"You won't be able to kill Gato since one of our men is going to kidnap him but you can tag along as we take out his base." Kakashi suggested a way for Zabuza to vent his anger.

"Fine but if I spot that overgrown rat, I will be the last thing he sees." The swordsman words were filled with anger. Team 7 was glad this man was now on their side.

The group of 6 headed towards their destination. When they arrived Kakashi stopped the group from advancing to communicate with Sai. They tweaked the plan slightly because Zabuza and Haku were here. "Alright we may only be fighting bandits and mercenaries but I want you to be careful. A single mistake could cost your life." Kakashi spoke to his team.

"Don't tell me these brats haven't killed before?" Zabuza asked in disbelief. After all he killed his entire graduation class when he was their age. Haku experienced her first kill when she killed her father and a mob. He was shocked when Kakashi nodded to his question. "Damn it, I don't want to deal with them freezing up after their first kills." Zabuza complained.

The genins didn't know how to respond. Although they knew shinobi have to kill, the act of killing was something foreign to them. No amount of training or books could prepare them for taking someone's life. Kakashi noticed how silent his team was.

"As much as I don't want them to experience killing, they would have to one day. I would rather them kill someone with me around then on their own." Kakashi said. His students slowly steeled themselves for what was to come. At Kakashi's signal, everyone leapt towards the camp. There was 4 tents in front the large house were Gato was located. Kakashi and Zabuza quickly took care of the guards with a quick slice to the throat. The blood splattered all across the ground, making the grass look crimson.

Everyone looked away from the scene. Haku, Zabuza, and Kakashi began going through hand seals. Haku was the first to finish and she raised her arm to fire her jutsu. "**Hyoton: Kōri no Hashira (Ice Release: Ice Pillars**." Several ice pillars of varying sizes erupted from the ground and destroying the tents. Team 7 was surprised at not only the Kekkei Genkai but the use of just one hand to execute the jutsu. People that avoided the pillars escaped out into the open.

Zabuza not wanting to be upstarted went next. "**Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu (Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique)**." Huge amounts of water sprang from Zabuza's mouth and formed a waterfall. The water drowned several enemies while dragging others away. The enemies were soaked from head to toe.

Kakashi, hoping to capitalize on the water, fired his jutsu. "**Raiton: Jibashi (Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder)**." Kakashi struck the ground and electrified the water. Anyone on the water was shocked by the lightning.

Gato's troops were frozen, soaked, and electrified in the span of a few seconds. Those that were still standing suffered some sort of damage. What originally were two hundred strong was reduced to a measly seventy-five. To diminish their hopes even further, Sai walked out from the large with a roped and gagged Gato. Sai then left the battlefield with Gato in tow. With many of their men down and their employer captured, the bandits ran. Unfortunately not all of them ran, some became enraged and prepared to attack the shinobi.

"Kakashi let the younger ones deal with this lot. They need to know what the real world is like." Zabuza advised. Kakashi wanted to protest so his team would not be stained with blood but he knew Zabuza's logic was correct. "Haku, lower the odds for Kakashi's brats." As soon as Zabuza commanded, senbons penetrated the attacking mercenaries. They collapsed in a heap, paralyzed from the sudden attack. It left only six remaining bandits to be dealt with.

The genins quickly separated so that they would only have to worry about two opponents. Sasuke was able to hit one of them with a **Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)**. The mercenary yelled in pain as his arm was seared with flames and he toppled over in pain. The other one tried to take Sasuke by surprise by attacking from behind but was met by a kunai to the jugular. Blood splattered all over Sasuke's face as the man's life drained away. Sasuke slowly wiped the warm blood from his face with his clean sleeve. His stomach churned and he could feel food coming up. He fled from the scene so his brain wouldn't remember another incident.

Sakura opponents fared better than Sasuke's but was still overmatched. A quick **Bunshin no Jutsu** was all that was needed as her opponents became confused on which one to take. By the time they realized the real one wasn't among them, they each had a kunai embedded in their chest. It seems like Sakura had misfired while aiming for their heart, but in reality her desire to not kill changed the direction of the attack. That only made it worse for her two enemies as they would die a slow agonizing death. They stared at her with eyes full of hate before dying from blood loss. Sakura turned away from the sight; it was too much for the young genin.

Naruto was up against two men who seemed to rely heavily on their physical strength. They attempted to tackle the smaller Naruto but the blonde simply leapt over them. Naruto hesitated in drawing his sword. That slight hesitation allowed the brutes to recover their balance. They rushed at Naruto once again but this time Naruto had his wakizashi in hand. The jinchūriki accelerated and was in his reach in a matter of seconds. Time slowed as he passed in between them and deep slash marks appeared on their skins. Naruto turned around to see if they were all down but was surprised when one of the men was in front him. Instinctively, Naruto raised his wakizashi up and it pierced the grunt's chest where the heart was located. The man spitted out blood all over Naruto and soon lost the feeling of his legs. The man collapsed on Naruto, making the wakizashi slip deeper into his skin. Naruto pushed the larger man off him and his blade. Naruto stared at the corpse in front of him, not noticing Haku's hand was on his shoulder.

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><p><strong>Reviews:<strong>

**emilbootanimefreak – **I am actually a fan of Samui and Haku so I was glad that Samui was able to sneak in. Shadow clones are always abused by writers so I wanted to do something different.

**APieceOfPie4Everybody011 – **You are welcome. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.

**Ryuujin96 **– I hope the fights met your expectations. I also realized my mistake in training Sasuke and not Naruto but I think I was able to redeem it. Kakashi will be more involved with Naruto as well as several other people. Again, thanks for the help.

**Please read my stuff – **Thank you for reading!

**skg1991 – **It was my fault that Kakashi forgot about Naruto but I think I redeemed it. Genjutsu training will be coming up soon. I think Sasuke learning several jutsu is a little much but I think it's possible. Of course compared to Itachi, he is not as good but who is? Itachi didn't master every jutsu if I recall but he is still a badass.

**gual1 **– Glad that my story flows well. Thanks for answering my question and I agree after reading your explanation.

**NinjaFang1331 **– Haku is coming to Leaf with Naruto. If she didn't, well let's say I would have lots of changing to do.

** .9 – **I have addressed the C-Rank Jutsu problem in the A.N. above. I really wished I let Mikoto alive but her death was necessary for another reason. Shisui did die a couple of days before the massacre but I forgot… Well let's just say I made his death earlier so Danzo could use **Kotoamatsukami**.

**DragonPony022 **– If you have any jutsu suggestions, I'll be glad to hear them since it is hard to come up with my own sometimes. Tsunade is coming up in the next chapter and she will be more involved. Everyone always point out that I forget her. You people love Tsunade.

**Deltablacknaruto – **I believe I answered your questions my PM but oh well. You already know about my decision to split this story before most. That basically answered your entire review lol. Thanks for the help as well!

**Trace Reading – **I have followed your advice and separated the speeches. I like Naruto in his trademark outfit but the dark colors are like camo for soldiers. ANBU regularly wear dark colors and they rely on stealth even though they are not a main part of the Naruto Universe. Out on the field, he would be able to blend in with the environment. In towns, he could simply henge into civilians or wear other clothing.

**chm01 – **I have addressed your question in the A.N.

**Waldo Santiago – **Thanks for reviewing each chapter even though you just needed to review the latest one. I hope you are enjoying the story so far. You people are making me regret even killing Mikoto. Danzo is easily one of Naruto's top villains since he manipulated so many things. You say my story is beyond crazy but it is simplistic. Isn't that contradicting? Lol oh well. Thank you for pointing out that I write too many summaries, I was trying to get to canon storyline so I didn't want to stay in the introductory too long.

**loganhunter2 – **Thank you for reviewing each chapter. Basics may not beat S class but a simple kunai can kill any enemy. **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu** is used so often that I wanted to try something new. I already explained my reasons for no NaruIno. I addressed the rest of your questions in the A.N. I hope this story gets 10/10 one day from you.

**Finnish Paragade – **I am sorry but I don't understand quite understand your review. What unbreakable rules am I breaking and why is it disappointingly?

**kingdom219 – **Thanks for the support and I hope to progress them even further.

**narumulti – **Thanks for the support and I'll try to update as fast as possible.

**bandgsecurityaw – **Thank you for reading this work!

**imgonnadie – **Thank you and hope you liked this chapter as well.

**125b –** Thanks, I hope it continues to meet your expectations.


	8. Chapter 8

**A.N.**

Hello everyone! I am finally on spring break which is why it took so long for me to post this chapter. I believe this is the best chapter I have written yet so I hope you guys enjoy it. In other news, I think I received my first flame. I must say that I didn't necessarily enjoy it but I know it comes with writing. I don't have much to say… so on with the show.

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><p><strong>Chapter 8: Prelude to the Exams<strong>

The group silently leapt from tree to tree as they made their way back to Tazuna's home. Kakashi was worried about his students' well-being as he led the way. Sasuke seemed like his usually quiet self but Kakashi could see the turmoil on his face. Naruto and Sakura were worse off as they both were pale faced and seemed to lag behind. Zabuza was indifferent to the whole situation while Haku was worried about the blonde. After several minutes of traveling, they landed near the house.

"I want you three to go wash up and then we will talk about what happened." Kakashi ordered his team. Kakashi understood their agony as he also took a life at a young age. He only hoped that he could find the right words to consul them. Sakura went inside to shower while Naruto and Sasuke made their way towards the sea. All three wanted to get rid of their bloodied clothes as soon as possible. Zabuza and Haku followed Kakashi inside, to see Sai and a chained up Gato.

Zabuza grabbed the hilt of Kubikiriboncho but he was stopped from pulling it out mid motion by Kakashi. "Let me go Kakashi, I need to kill this little rat for trying to betray me." Zabuza's voice was filled with venom. Sai took a protective stance in front of Gato just in case. Kakashi could only sigh as he hoped that the family upstairs wouldn't wake up.

"Zabuza I understand your anger but you should let the townspeople deal with this. They have suffered much from Gato and I believe they deserve some retribution." Kakashi tried to persuade his new ally as he released his hold. They were originally planning to imprison Gato in Konohagakure but who knows what tactics he will use to escape once he got there.

"Kakashi you might as well let me kill him. If these townspeople suffered as much as you said, then they will tear Gato to shreds. I don't think you want innocent people to have blood on their hands." Zabuza reasoned to the Jonin. Kakashi couldn't fault the reasoning so he was stuck in a dilemma. Luckily a washed Sasuke and Naruto entered the house. Sakura came downstairs a few seconds later after the duo. Kakashi motioned for them to sit on the couch so they can talk.

Kakashi looked at his students, hoping that one of them would ask him a question. He didn't have to wait long as Naruto began speaking. "Kakashi-sensei why did we you want us to kill those bandits?" Naruto asked before clarifying. "I understand that as shinobi we are supposed to kill but those bandits didn't pose a threat to us." Kakashi was able to see that Naruto wanted to find a reason to justify the cleaning. The Jonin took a small breath before speaking.

"You are correct that shinobi are supposed to kill on their missions. The reason I wanted you three to experience your first kill earlier is because I didn't want the trauma of the kill to affect your future missions. In one way or another, all of you froze when you took a person's life. If that were to happen on a mission, you could endanger yourself and your team. I also made you take on the bandits because I would be able to help you if something drastic was to occur." The Copy Nin explained to his students.

"How do you deal with this Kakashi-sensei? Sakura asked quietly. "I mean how do you deal with the blood and responsibility of taking someone's life?" Sakura clarified as her body shuddered when she remembered the sound of her kunai driving into flesh. She felt her dinner coming up from her stomach but she suppressed the desire to gag.

"I usually wash away the blood like you three did. The only way I could deal with taking another's life is because of one fact. If I don't kill the enemy, they will harm someone close to me. As Konoha Nin, you are taught the Will of Fire. I will tell you only to kill if it is to protect the people you hold dear. The Jonin advised. He was able to see his words had some sort of an effect on the three.

Sasuke who had not spoken the whole time, got up and went upstairs to sleep. Sakura, although still shaken up, followed shortly after. Both were hoping sleep would cure them of their ailments. Naruto sat there silently before getting up and exiting the house. Haku followed after the boy, leaving Sai, Kakashi, and Zabuza alone with Gato. "Kakashi-san what do you suggest we do with Gato?" Sai's voice broke the silence.

Kakashi glanced at Gato before remembering Zabuza's words. "Zabuza, I want to keep him alive a little longer so we can gather all of his money that he stole from the people of Wave." Kakashi hoped that would be enough to avoid bloodshed at least for now. Zabuza eyed the Jonin before nodding and heading outside as well. Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the swordsman leave.

"Kakashi-san may I ask why you lied to Zabuza-san? I am quite confident that you knew I took all of Gato's money from his vault as ordered." Sai wondered what made the Copy Nin lie. Kakashi waved off the Root ANBU as he thanked Sai for keeping his silence. Kakashi needed some rest and didn't want to deal with Gato until tomorrow. Sai looked at the unconscious Gato in confusion. Shrugging it off, Sai left the house as he dragged Gato into the woods to wait for further orders.

Naruto watched his younger brother leave from the roof of Tazuna's house. The blonde was sitting on the roof and was in the process of cleaning his wakizashi of the bandit's blood. Haku was nearby but she chose not to interfere with Naruto's cleaning. However, Zabuza had other ideas. "That is a beautiful blade there brat. I hope you know how to use it or otherwise you would be wasting its potential." Zabuza commented.

Naruto did not reply as he continued to wipe his blade until the blade glistened in the moon's light. Naruto sheathed his blade and sealed it within a scroll. "Zabuza-san why did you kill your entire graduation class?" Naruto's voice was soft but Zabuza was able to pick it up.

"Kirigakure had a tradition that pitted graduation classes against one another. It was said that those who perform exceptionally well were recruited to be a part of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. I actually didn't kill my graduation class so that information in the bingo book is wrong. I killed an entire graduation class when I wasn't even a student yet." Zabuza revealed, much to Naruto's shock.

"I know that I would not be able to understand Kirigakure traditions but what would possess people to kill each other?" Naruto couldn't imagine facing another class like Neji's and trying to kill each other. Zabuza scoffed at the blonde's questions.

"That tradition was established by our now decreased Yondaime. Yagura was originally a pleasant person but once he became Mizukage, he became brutal and blood thirsty. Everyone was forced to follow his iron rule. I guess that what happens when a Biju takes over its host, at least that was what the populace said. Still I wished I was the one to chop off that bastard's head." The swordsman spat out. Naruto's body tensed at the words Biju but he quickly shook it off.

The trees shuffled in the wind as the two shinobi's conversations ended. Stars were twinkling in the night sky and only the sound of waves could be heard. The night was peaceful quite contrasted to the battle that occurred only a few hours earlier. Zabuza took his leave as he figured Naruto didn't want to talk anymore. He gave some parting words before he left.

"I was always physically gifted even compared to kids older than me. The older kids felt threatened so they tried to kill me on a night similar to tonight. Luckily I wasn't home at the time but my parents weren't so lucky. I arrived home to see my parents throats slit and left there to rot. I was stricken with grief until I noticed a blade near their bodies. On the hilt was the name of one of the older kids that always tried to harass me. In a fit of rage, the next morning I arrived at the school with the same blade and I slaughtered them all." With that Zabuza left, not giving Naruto time to comment.

Naruto was stunned that something like that had happened to Zabuza. He didn't even notice someone sat down beside him. It was only when Haku's hand touched his shoulder that he regained his senses. "How are you Naruto-san?" Haku wondered about the blonde's state of mind. Naruto turned to face his friend.

"Haku what did I tell you about calling me san? I don't like honorifics among friends." Naruto said as he chuckled lightly. Haku was glad that her first friend was laughing as it meant that he was getting better.

"Hai I am sorry Naruto but you never answered my question?" The kunoichi still doubted that Naruto was truly fine. The jinchūriki avoided eye contact as he glanced up to observe the sky. Haku followed his gaze and silently watched the night sky.

"Haku I am unsure how to feel. I understand everything Kakashi-sensei said and I agree with his logic. I would do whatever it took to protect the people precious to me but I hate the feeling of killing. Sure I could have protected my people but what if the bandits I killed also had people that they held precious? When I think like that, I can only feel as I am the monster that my village makes me out to be." Naruto's voice was solemn, lacking his usual brightness.

"Naruto let me tell you about my past. In Kirigakure there was a thing called the bloodline purges when the Yondaime was alive. The Yondaime decreed that people who possessed Kekkei Genkai were evil and began killing anyone who possessed them. My mother was able to escape and became the sole survivor of the Yuki Clan. She eventually fell in love with my father and became pregnant with me. When I was four years old, I discovered that I possessed the Kekkei Genkai as well. At the time I didn't know what it was so I showed my mother hoping she would praise me. Instead she slapped me and told me to never show it again." Haku's eyes began tearing up but she wiped them away. Haku steadied her breath so she could finish the rest of the tale.

"It was too late as my father saw this. He gathered a mob and in the dead of night tried to kill my mother and me. My mother was attacked first and was unable to retaliate. I awoke when I heard the sound of her screaming my name. To protect myself, I used my abilities to create giant ice spikes and decimated our home. Everyone in the house was pierced by the spikes as I huddled in a corner. Not knowing what to do, I fled the scene just in case other people came to attack me. I was found a couple hours later by Zabuza-sama, who saw the scene." Haku reminisced her past as she remember the rainy day when her savior found her.

Naruto struggled to find words to say. He was unsure how to comfort her since he had never comforted someone before. Naruto slowly wrapped his arms around Haku and pulled her towards him. As he hugged her, he began stroking her hair in an attempt to provide some comfort. Naruto had seen several mothers do this to their children when they were hurt. Haku was paralyzed by the bold actions and was confused about the situation. Confusion turn to remembrance as she remembered her mother doing the exact same thing for her.

Small droplets slowly escape her eyes and made its way down her chin. The tears increased in frequency as Haku's flood gates were opened. The kunoichi cried in sadness for the death of her mother. She cried out in frustration as she was forced to live on the run for so many years. She wasn't allowed to cry since Zabuza instructed her that shinobi don't cry. All the pent up feelings that accumulated over the course of several years were dripping onto Naruto's shirt.

Seeing Haku cry, Naruto was on the verge of breaking himself. He needed to be strong in this situation but Haku's weeping was too much to handle. Naruto unsuccessfully tried to stifle his tears by looking upwards. His tears began falling on Haku but she was too preoccupied to notice. The two cried their fill and eventually the tears stopped. The duo remained in place with Haku in Naruto's arms. Both were too tired to be embarrassed about their position so they just enjoyed each other's warm embrace.

After what felt like hours, which was only minutes in reality, Haku curiosity got a hold of her. "Naruto can you tell me about your past?" She asked, not bothering to lift her head from Naruto's damp shirt. She was unable to see Naruto's sad expression as he began to speak.

"Well ever since I was small, I was hated by the village with a few exceptions. The villagers would never physically hurt me except on a certain day. They tended to ignore me and refuse to sell me goods. When I was allowed to buy things at their stores, it was overpriced or spoiled. They even told their children to stay away from me since I was a monster or a demon. To garner their attention, I would constantly prank the village. It was the only thing I was able to do and the chase was pretty fun. My life changed for the better when I had pranked my teammate's, Sasuke, clan." Naruto said in fondness as Haku's mind remembered the other boy on Naruto's team.

"That day was the day I met my mother figure, Mikoto-san who was also Sasuke's mother. She was so nice to me that I couldn't believe such a nice lady was Sasuke's mother. At one point, I believed she was an angel that was sent down to rescue me from my misery." Naruto chuckled at his younger self. "For several months Mikoto-san, along with her oldest son Itachi, taught be how to be a shinobi. Itachi was also kind to me and even treated me like a little brother. To me those days were the best days of my life." Haku noticed the use of the past tense as Naruto continued.

"One day I found out that Itachi had killed the entire Uchiha Clan sans Sasuke. They said Itachi killed them because he was testing himself but I don't believe that." Naruto said with conviction. "Although I don't know the exact reason Itachi did it, I won't believe anything until I hear it come from his mouth. Shortly after the incident, my 9th birthday came shortly. I was obviously not in the mood to celebrate but my friends managed to pull me out of my depression." Naruto smiled as he remembered his birthday party.

"That was the day I found out the reason I was hated. The Sandaime Hokage decided that he wanted me to know the secret he had kept from me since I was born. On the day I was born, the Kyuubi no Yoko attacked Konohagakure. The Yondaime was forced to sacrifice his life to prevent the Kyuubi from attacking the village. You see there is actually no way to defeat a Biju so the Yondaime Hokage was forced to seal the beast within a new born baby. The price for performing the seal was the life of the caster and I was the baby that has the Biju sealed within me." Naruto finished.

The shock was present on Haku's face as she couldn't believe what she had just heard. Naruto could feel her body shake and he frowned at the action. "I will understand if you hate me now since I am similar to the person that initiated the bloodline purges." Naruto said as he slowly released his hold of Haku. He didn't get very far as Haku grabbed his shirt to prevent him from leaving. Naruto looked down to see her dark brown eyes staring back at him.

"I don't hate you Naruto, you are your own person. I can see that you dealt with the same discrimination that I dealt with. You are not the monster people fear you are. You are Uzumaki Naruto, a kind person and my friend." Haku assured. A small smile graced her face as she could see Naruto's cerulean eyes regain its glow. The duo smiled fondly at each other before they were interrupted by a cough. They turned to see Zabuza standing there. They quickly separated at each other as Zabuza made his way to the roof.

Zabuza told Haku to go back inside and she did as told but not before glancing back at Naruto and Zabuza. Zabuza examined the blond like a lion observing his prey. The tension in the air took away the blonde's breathing. "I'm watching you." Zabuza said with a glare before he retreated back into the house. Naruto could only sigh in relief as the tension dispersed. He followed after Zabuza to catch some much needed sleep.

The following morning Gato was killed by Zabuza after Kakashi had time to dwell on the decision. The Copy Nin didn't want the people of Wave to have their hands bloodied so he accepted Zabuza's proposal. Gato met a swift end as Zabuza chopped off his head with a single swipe of Kubikiriboncho. Kakashi had informed Wave that Gato's tyranny had ended and he returned the stolen money back to their rightful owners. The leftover money was split between Zabuza for his services and to Tazuna's family.

Team 7 had decided to stay until the bridge was complete since that was the original assignment. Tazuna had graciously paid for an S-Class mission although the mission would official go down as an A-Class mission. Kakashi asked Zabuza if he minded teaching the Genins while Kakashi protected Tazuna. The swordsman obliged since he didn't have anything else to do and would rather not be stuck on guard duty while Haku was with Naruto. The Copy Nin was confused by Zabuza's action but he decide to shrug it off.

Zabuza, Haku, and the rest of Team 7 were currently in the woods to train. "Alright brats, do any of you have a water affinity?" Zabuza asked since he intended to train them in his strength. Naruto was the only one who raised his hand at the question. "I knew you had a blade but the fact that you have a water affinity makes it even better. Not to mention your stealth is excellent which makes you perfect for this jutsu." Zabuza smirked.

Zabuza slowly showed Naruto the hand seals for the jutsu. "**Ninpon: Kirigakure no Jutsu (Hidden in the Mist Technique)**." Zabuza announced his technique and soon a mist shrouded the area. "This technique would complement blondie nicely as you can use the mist as a diversion. Now for training, I will help the blonde use the technique while the other two will go with Haku." Sakura and Sasuke was confused about this and was about to voice their objections.

"Before you say anything, let me finish talking. Haku will use the same technique on you. The training for you two is to learn how to use your senses to detect your enemy. We as shinobi often rely too heavily on our sight. This training will help you enhance your other senses to be able to pinpoint enemy ninja. It will also help improve your instincts as well since Haku will shower you with senbons. If you are lucky, you might be able to learn chakra sensing." Zabuza smirked, which would have scared Sakura if she could see through the bandages.

"Excuse me Zabuza-san, what is chakra sensing? I have heard of sensors but not chakra sensors." Sakura asked shyly as she was still scared of the swordsman. Naruto and Sasuke also nodded since they have never heard of it either.

"Chakra sensing is a type of ability that allows a shinobi to detect the presence of others by their chakra. There are several Kekkei Genkai, such as Konoha's Byakugan, that allows the user the ability to see chakra. Chakra sensors are invaluable as they are able to detect enemies and other sensors. Chakra sensing can be learned but it can only be learned by a select few. Only those who were born sensitive to chakra are able to master this skill." Zabuza explained.

Now that the swordsman was finished with his explanation, the group split in two with Haku's leaving to another area. "Alright kid go ahead and try the technique." Zabuza ordered Naruto. Naruto did as told and performed the jutsu. Just like Zabuza, a mist blanketed the area but it was thicker. "Kid, you should lessen your chakra input. It is good that no one can see through this mist but you are wasting chakra." The older man addressed as he couldn't see the blonde even though Naruto was in front of him.

Naruto did as told and the mist lighten slightly. They continued practicing the technique with Zabuza instructing Naruto to change how much chakra to put in the mist. Eventually Naruto was able to control the mist even as he moved around. He was now doing the same training as his teammates, except only he made the mist while trying to find Zabuza. This training continued until a week had passed.

During that span, Naruto was able to successfully spar with Zabuza in Kenjutsu while in the mist. He lost the entire time but no one was keeping count. He could have sworn Zabuza was hurting him on purpose but he had no proof. Sasuke was able to unlock his Sharingan after he was skewered by several senbons when trying to dodge them. The Uchiha was proud that he unlocked his Kekkei Genkai and asked Kakashi for advice. Sakura's improvement was the most surprising as they found out she was a chakra sensor. She wasn't able to sense very far and was still having trouble with it. Kakashi recommended that she wait to find a fellow sensor like Inoichi to train under since he and Zabuza weren't sensors.

Kakashi didn't slack off their training either as Zabuza and Haku relieved him of guard duty. Kakashi focused on their Taijutsu and taught them **Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique)**. They also worked on **Kai (Release) **in case they ever faced a Genjutsu. Both were essential to every shinobi so he made a point for them to learn it. All three threw up their lunches on their first attempt of the **Shunshin no Jutsu**. Naruto seemed to be the most natural at the technique as he was able to travel the farthest. All three were able to dispel **Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu (Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique)** rather quickly as that was the only Genjutsu Kakashi knew.

The group was now standing outside Tazuna's house as the people of Wave came to see their heroes off. "I thank you again for getting rid of Gato and protecting my life." Tazuna once again thanked his saviors. The townspeople cheered loudly and gave their thanks as well. The Konoha group said their goodbyes as they began their journey back home. Tsunami turned to her father.

"What should we call the bridge now that it is finished?" She asked as she looked at the bridge that connected Wave to Fire Country. Tazuna pondered the thought as he observed the bridge he made with his own hands. Suddenly a thought came to him.

"The name of this bridge is The Bridge of Hope, to signify the hope that Konohagakure and Team 7 brought to us." The populace cheered once more as they celebrated a new era in Wave.

***In Takigakure***

Hayase [1] stared at the parchment that he received from Konohagakure. It stated that all five Great Shinobi Nations were participating in the Chunin Exams. He crumpled up the paper as he began thinking. A grin appeared on his face as he summoned his son. It was time for Takigakure to upsurge one of the Great Nations and make Takigakure a force to be reckon with. To accomplish that, he would need to something he hated. He would have to send that wretched girl as a participant so glory and riches will come to his village.

***At the gates of Konohagakure***

The group of five had finally arrived at the gates after a day of traveling. Sai went back earlier since the mission no longer required back up. The journey back was faster since they didn't have a civilian traveling with them. It also gave the Genins time to practice their **Shunshin**. Kotetsu lazily allowed the group to pass through after he saw Kakashi. He didn't even notice the presence of Haku and Zabuza. Fortunately, Izumo took his duty seriously and stopped the group. "Hold up, may I ask why two non-Konoha Nin are entering Kakashi?" Izumo inquired.

Kotetsu instantly tensed up and grabbed a kunai in case a battle was to occur. Kakashi decided to ease the tension. "These two helped us on our mission and are now requesting admission to become a Konoha shinobi." The Jonin explained. Izumo understanding the situation allowed the group to advance.

"Dude that was scary. That was freaking Momochi Zabuza, **Kirigakure no Kijin**. I swear his blood must be made of ice. That girl was cute though." Kotetsu commented as he put back his kunai.

Izumo could only shake his head at his friend. "I wouldn't mess with that girl if I were you. She is probably related to Zabuza in some sort of way." Izumo said, which made Kotetsu paled.

The group leapt across the roofs to deliver their report to the Hokage. They were granted entry by the secretary and Kakashi knocked on the door. A voice from behind the door allowed entry and everyone filed inside. "Team 7 reporting back from duty, Hokage-sama." Kakashi announced.

"I take it your mission was a success but I wonder what a Kiri Missing-Nin is doing here?" Hiruzen said as he narrowed his eyes at the two Nuke Nin. Kakashi gave his mission report. He then stated that Zabuza and Haku wished to gain entry as a shinobi of Konohagakure. Sai had gave his own report so Hiruzen knew the gist of it. The Hokage didn't ponder the decision as he already knew his answer. "Haku would be admitted as a Konoha kunoichi as long as everything checks out at T&I. She would be on a month probation so she could get settled in her new environment. Zabuza, on the other hand, is a different story." The Sandaime declared.

"Hey old man, is there a problem with me wanting to be a Leaf Nin?" Zabuza asked as he released a small killing intent. Sarutobi was not fazed as he smoked his pipe.

"There is a problem with you joining Momochi-san. The reason being is that you are one of Seven Swordsman of the Mist. I don't know how the new Mizukage will react when she hears the news that you joined my village. I will prefer not to get on her bad side when our villages are neutral. Hopefully we will be able to have a peace treaty but that would remained to be seen. If the Mizukage allows it, I would glad accept you." Hiruzen explained.

Zabuza's face paled as he knew Mei wouldn't allow him to be a Leaf Nin. _'That sadistic woman would never allow me to be here since I am one of the Seven Swordsman. I need to leave now before she catches wind of my whereabouts.' _Zabuza turned to Haku and was about to speak. He stopped as he realized he would be forcing Haku back to a life on the run. He couldn't possibly force that on her now that she made a friend, even if it was a boy. He steeled himself to say his next words. "Fine we will wait for the Mizukage's decision." Zabuza said bitterly.

The Sandaime smiled as he would be adding the last of the Yuki Clan into his ranks and might even potentially have one of the seven swordsman. "Naruto can you escort Haku and Zabuza to T&I and make sure Anko understands they are not prisoners? I will have them escorted to their temporary living quarter afterwards. The rest of you besides Kakashi is dismissed." Hiruzen ordered. Naruto shuddered as he remembered Anko last victims. The group of four sans Kakashi left the room. "We are having a meeting soon involving all the Jonin senseis, I figured you might as well wait." Hiruzen answered the Jonin's unspoken question.

Right on cue, every Jonin reported in. "I have gathered you here today because the Chunin Exams will be here in two weeks. I have purposely moved up the exams to compensate for some other things. I wanted to know what teams are entering the exams. Before you answer, I would like to warn you that this could possibly be the toughest exams ever. All Five Great Shinobi Nations along with a few minor nations will have participants in the Exams. I want as much of our Genins to participate but I would only allow it if the senseis believed they are ready." The Hokage informed.

The news shocked the Jonins as the upcoming exams would be monumental. Many wondered if their team was indeed ready to participate in something like this. Asuma raised his hand and was acknowledged by his father. "Hokage-sama, do we have a number on how many participants will be entering the exams?" The chain smoker asked.

"42 from Iwagakure, 33 from Kumogakure, 30 from Sunagakure, 15 from Kirigakure, 21 from Amegakure, 9 from Takigakure, 6 from Kusagakure, and 6 from Otogakure. That brings the total to 162 participants or 54 teams and that doesn't include the Genin that we will send. Now that you heard the number, those that don't want their team to participate can leave." Hiruzen said.

No one initially moved but slowly several Jonins left, leaving only 22 Jonins in the room. Of the ones remaining, the rookie senseis were still in the room. Hiruzen raised an eyebrow at this but decided to trust in the Jonins' judgment. "You have two weeks to prepare your teams for the event and make sure they sign the forms before anything else. Dismissed." Hiruzen gave the senseis the forms before dismissing them.

"Asuma and Kurenai can I talk to you later? It's about the Chunin Exams." Kakashi asked his fellow shinobi. They agreed to meet up at Dangoya for dinner. Asuma and Kurenai left, leaving Kakashi alone with Hiruzen.

"Hokage-sama I wish to talk about something important in private." Kakashi voiced his reason for remaining behind. The Sandaime wondered what was so important to make the usually lazy ninja stayed behind. He dismissed the guard and activated his secrecy seals. "Hokage-sama is Naruto related to sensei in some way?" Kakashi asked.

Hiruzen was caught off guard by the sudden question. He always thought Kakashi would never find out until it was revealed when Naruto was a Chunin. "Of course Naruto-kun is related to Minato." Hiruzen said as Kakashi was shocked. "I mean Minato sealed the Kyuubi in Naruto-kun's body." Hiruzen said. Kakashi could only deadpan at his Hokage. Hiruzen decided that the time for jokes were over. "Naruto is the son of Minato and Kushina. I hid his identity because of his parents' enemies." The Hokage spoke truthfully this time.

Kakashi felt shattered at the revelation. He began berating himself for all the times he could have been there for Naruto. His depression turned to anger, which he directed to Hiruzen. "Why didn't you tell me sensei's child was alive?" He yelled. "It is your fault that Naruto lived such a horrible life until now." Kakashi shouted as he directed his mistakes onto another person. The last sentence hurt the Hokage, even though he knew Kakashi's state of mind was not right.

"Jonin Hatake Kakashi, I am the Hokage and I demand that you treat me with the respect I deserve. If anyone looked closely, they could see Naruto's resemblance to Minato. Do not place your blame on me when you have been watching Naruto from your ANBU days until now. How is it my fault that it took you so long to realize the truth?" Hiruzen lectured his underling.

Kakashi held his tongue to avoid saying anything else that he would regret. The Copy Nin didn't want to accept the truth but it was time to face reality. "I apologize for my behavior Hokage-sama. The revelation caused my feelings to overrule my reason." Kakashi bowed to the Sandaime. Hiruzen accepted the apology and dismissed the Jonin but not before telling him that Naruto's heritage was an S-Class secret. Kakashi didn't leave via **Shunshin** like usual and instead walked out from the door. Hiruzen pitied the silver haired adult as he watched Kakashi listlessly walk through the streets.

Kakashi was walking through town but his mind was elsewhere. The day seemed dull now compared to when Team 7 returned from their mission. To Kakashi, the world was losing its color. Everywhere he looked, he could see someone that had harmed Naruto in some sort of way over the years. Their happy expressions only seemed to fuel his anger as he remembered how Naruto was neglected. They waved at him with smiles on their faces but he could only see sadistic grins with fists at the ready to punish Naruto. He was broke from his musing by a loud youthful cry.

"Kakashi, my eternal rival, what are you doing here?" The spandex giant asked. "Are you not supposed to be meeting up with Asuma and Kurenai?" Gai questioned as he heard about the meeting from Asuma. Kakashi stared at the ground as he remember that he proposed to meet up with the other rookie senseis. The Copy Nin wasn't in the best mood so he will have to reschedule the meeting. The only problem was Gai had dragged him to Dangoya while he was thinking. "Here we are my youthful friend, let us go inside." Gai ushered his rival inside the building.

The duo made their way to a large table that consisted of Kurenai, Asuma, Yugao, Hayate, Anko, Genma, and Shizune. Shizune had become close to the group since her return to Konoha. "About time you got here Kakashi, what took you so long?" Asuma asked and expected a lame excuse from the Copy Nin. The only thing he received was silence as Kakashi quietly took a seat. Gai took a seat at the table as well.

"Yo Gai what is up with one eye wonder?" Anko asked the person who picked up the so called one eye wonder. Gai shrugged his shoulders and replied that he found Kakashi in this state. Shizune did a quick scan for any illnesses but found nothing. Yugao began worrying as she had never seen her sempai like this before. Genma decided enough was enough so he began to probe for answers.

"Is it a woman Kakashi? Don't worry about it, another one will come along in your life." Genma guessed but he was wrong as Kakashi didn't respond. "I got it! It must have to do with one of your students." Genma proclaimed as he guessed correctly. Kakashi's body visibly twitched at the mention of student. Everyone at the table saw the sudden movement.

"Man that gaki must have got you really riled up to leave you in such as state." Anko laughed as she wondered what prank Naruto had pulled.

"Naruto is a responsible young man and would never to anything harmful on a mission." Shizune stated as she came to his defense. Yugao agreed whole heartily with the medic. This garnered Kakashi's attention and he turned to face the group.

"Do you guys know Naruto?" Kakashi asked since he never bothered with his student's personal life. Everyone except Asuma and Genma nodded at the question.

"I am Naruto's Kenjutsu instructor with Yugao coming by every so often to help train him. Gai is his Taijutsu instructor and we would often converse about Naruto's progress in his skills. I don't know how the ladies besides Yugao know Naruto though." Hayate answered while Gai smiled which showed his bright teeth

"I know Naruto from stories that Yugao and my team told me. I have met him once or twice when I served as Hinata's escort. Anko has known him since he pranked the T&I department that one time. Shizune knows Naruto since Tsunade-sama is his godmother." Kurenai replied casually. Everyone besides Kurenai and Shizune gasped in shock over the fact that one of the Sannin was the godmother of the village pariah. For Kakashi, this only help further validated the truth of Naruto's heritage. Kakashi decided to change the topic, in hopes of concealing Naruto's identity.

"Anyway the reason why I called Asuma and Kurenai here was because I want our teams to train with each other. Gai could get on this as well since our goal is to make our teams pass the Chunin Exams. I can help with Ninjutsu, Kurenai with Genjutsu, Asuma with Bukijutsu, and Gai with Taijutsu. I would appreciate if the rest of you can help out as well." Kakashi said to change the topic as everyone wondered what snapped him out from his stupor.

Shizune offered her and Tsunade's help, even though the Sannin never agreed to such a thing. She would help them with poisons while Tsunade would help with chakra control and medical techniques. Yugao, Hayate and Genma were busy with missions so they declined. Anko regretfully declined torturi- I mean training the Genins due to the fact that she was busy preparing for the exams.

They all agreed to meet up at Training Ground 30 tomorrow morning but in the meantime, they conversed and drank alcohol into the night.

***Next Morning***

The Jonins were escorted their Genins towards Training Ground 30. This particular training ground was a large open area, usually reserved for mission simulations. Today and the rest of the two weeks it will be used as a field of training for aspiring Chunins. The Konoha 12 along with Haku and Zabuza, who decided to tag along after they had spotted Kakashi when they were exploring the town, arrived at the grounds for reasons unknown to them. The Genins other than Team 7 were surprised or scared to see the Demon of the Mist. They all sat on the grass while Zabuza and Haku decided to sit on a bench nearby. Kurenai decided to clarify why they were here.

"All right Genins, I know you are wondering why you are here today. The reason for this is because the Chunin Exams are coming up in two weeks and the Jonins decided to help train you. I will let the senseis introduce themselves to you." Kurenai explained. The Konoha 12 stood still as they tried to process the information as quickly as possible.

"S-Sensei does that mean we are all participating in the Chunin Exams?" Hinata asked nervously. She didn't believe that she was quite ready to participate in the event. Asuma decided to answer the shy girl's question.

"We have nominated you guys for the Chunin Exams because we believe you have the skills to do what it takes to become Chunin. Although we want to make sure you guys are prepared for the danger since this exam could be the hardest one yet." Asuma responded but that only made those that were insecure about their abilities more nervous.

"Why would this exam be any harder than the ones of the past?" Naruto asked since he thought the exams were supposed to be fair.

"In this exam, we are going to have all Five Great Shinobi Villages along with several minor villages participating." Gai replied youthful. This was huge news to the prospective Chunins as that kind of thing has ever happen before. Shikamaru and Shino were worried about their friend, who frowned at the news. This didn't escape the watchful eye of Kakashi.

"Alright how about I introduce myself first?" Kakashi grabbed their attention as he kept an eye on his sensei's son. "My name is Hatake Kakashi, Jonin-sensei of Team 7, and I will be training you in Ninjutsu. I have a wide range of Ninjutsu that spans all elements and ranks." Kakashi introduced despite never taking his face out of his orange book. Asuma went after him.

"The name is Sarutobi Asuma, Jonin-sensei of Team 10, and I will be training you in Bukijutsu. For those of you who don't know what Bukijutsu is; it is techniques that involves a weapon or weapons. My primary weapon of choice is trench knives but I have experience with all sorts of weapons, thanks to my days as one of the twelve Guardian Shinobi." Asuma concluded as he blew out smoke. The smoke was accidently blown at Kurenai, who punched Asuma several times. The chain smoker winced in pain on the grass.

"I am Yuhi Kurenai, Jonin-sensei of Team 8, and I will be training you in Genjutsu. The training will involve detecting, spotting, and casting Genjutsu. For those of you who think Genjutsu is a waste of time, you will think otherwise after I finish training with you." Kurenai said coldly. Everyone felt chills when Kurenai made the last comment. Everybody made a mental note to never piss of the Genjutsu Mistress.

"Hello youthful students, I am the mighty Maito Guy, Jonin-sensei of Team 9, and I will teach you in the youthful arts of Taijutsu." Gai gave his nice guy pose which blinded everyone. Lee was the only one who seemed unaffected. "Do not fear as I am known as the Taijutsu specialist of Konoha, your skills will raise along with your youthful passion. If you work hard, I shall reward you with a pair of this wonderful green spandex suit." Gai shouted as he raised the spandex suit in the air.

Agony and disgust were heard as people tried to tear the image of wearing the green spandex out of their heads. Haku turned pale as she imaged herself wearing the suit and shouting things like youth. Zabuza wondered if this is why Konohagakure remained the strongest among the five. With Jonins like these, no one in their right mind would want to face them.

"Senju Tsunade." Tsunade told everyone her name. They waited for her to continue but she only whined to Shizune about how hangover and mornings don't mix. Everyone who didn't know the Sannin deadpanned as their impression of a Sannin went down the drain. Shizune could be heard yelling at her mentor for such a half assed introduction. She composed herself when she noticed people staring at her.

"My name is Shizune and I am the apprentice of Tsunade-sama. I will be teaching you poisons and remedies while Tsunade-sama will be teaching chakra control and medical jutsu. I hope we can get along." Shizune gave her best sisterly smile, which seemed to calm the Genins. The Konoha 12 was glad that someone was normal among the instructors.

Kakashi coughed to gather everyone's attention. Noticing that he got just that, he began explaining. "We will be at this training grounds every morning for the two weeks leading up to the exams. After the morning training, you can spend the rest of the day doing whatever you wish. You can come to any of the instructors for training but please mention it to that person beforehand since we also have lives." Kakashi subtlety suggested they train in the afternoons as well.

"Kakashi-sensei what do you suggest we work on individually?" Naruto asked as he pointing to himself and his teammates before continuing. "I personally don't know what areas I should focus on." He explained. Kakashi pondered the thought for a second as he mentally evaluated his students.

"Naruto your greatest strength is your creativity, stealth, and wide range of abilities. On the other hand, your greatest weakness is most likely opponents who are faster or stronger than you and a straightforward battle. I don't know enough about your Kenjutsu and Taijutsu abilities to properly critique them. I think you should train with me so I can teach you some useful and strong jutsus." Kakashi answered. _'Although I also want to train you in hopes of repaying for my mistakes.'_The Yondaime's student thought in regret. Naruto thanked his sensei for his assessment before he mulled on what he should do.

"Sasuke's greatest strength and weakness is the Sharingan." The Copy Nin said much to the surprise of the Uchiha. "Don't get me wrong here. The Sharingan is a wonderful asset out in the field due its abilities. However, those abilities make the user over reliant on the Doujutsu. The Sharingan allows the user to see attacks coming as well as copy jutsus among other things. That doesn't mean the user can dodge those attacks they see coming or use the jutsus they copied to its full potential. Sasuke I recommend you work with me and Gai for Sharingan and Taijutsu training." Kakashi told his pupil. Sasuke frowned but he agreed with Kakashi as he remembered his cousins were often overconfident in their skills after they unlocked the Sharingan.

"Sakura your greatest strength is your physical strength, excellent chakra control, and intellect. You have great potential to be a strong kunoichi but you have confidence issues and you lack an area of expertise. I actually recommend that you train with all the teachers here as you can learn from all of them while trying to discover your niche. Your current abilities allow you to diverge into various areas and excel in each of them. I have asked Asuma prior to this to give you a weapon that I think will benefit you so ask him for it later." The Copy Nin praised his female member in hopes of building her confidence. It seemed to work as Sakura looked proudly at Kakashi.

The other Jonin-senseis decided to do the same thing as Kakashi. Kurenai went after the Copy Nin. "You three make me proud as we are a very successful search and rescue team. Your clan abilities are what you are and you should be proud of that. Kiba, you and Akamaru are the heavy hitters of our team and work excellent with each other. Hinata you are not the shy girl I remembered even though you are still quite timid. You have grown more confident in yourself and your father has seen that as well. Shino you are a true Aburame and have always support me and your teammates and by using your insects to shield us." Kurenai said proudly. Her team sat with confidence at their sensei's words.

"You all will one day grow to be excellent shinobi but I can only feel that you are stunting your own growth." The red eyed Jonin quickly brought them back down to Earth. Kurenai could see the disappointment in their faces but she needed them to understand her point of view. "I understand that clans are strong for a reason but I always feel that they are restricting themselves by only learning clan techniques. That is the downfall of your upbringing." Kurenai said.

"Kiba you rely so heavily on Akamaru that if Akamaru was taken out of the battle, you would be half as effective. All your techniques rely on a conjunction with your ninken. Hinata despite having excellent chakra control you do not know any Genjutsu or medical jutsus. Also the Byakugan allows 360 vision yet you are restricted to close quarter combat. Shino you are a logical thinking person. Imagine facing an opponent where your insects can't suck their chakra fast enough. You are vulnerable to Taijutsu and can be easily overcome if your insects can't support you." Kurenai finished.

She could see that her students were thinking about the pros and cons of their clan techniques. "I understand that each of your clans have a way of doing things but I would like all three of you to talk to your family to decide the best course of action. It is my duty as your sensei to help you reach your full potential and I think branching out will accomplish that." Kurenai hoped she didn't speak to harshly. The Genjutsu Mistress needed them to get stronger for the dangers they will face in the exams. Her team nodded to her, seemingly agreeing with her suggestion. Asuma went next

Asuma grabbed another cigarette from the pack as he looked at his team. The unlit cancer stick laid limply in his mouth. "Ok well how should I say this?" Asuma wondered how to break it to his team. "Well to put it simply, we are the weakest Genin team here." Asuma told his squad. As he expected, Ino, objected the claim. Shikamaru continued to stare at the clouds while Chouji ate his chips. "Ok then Ino, tell me who are we stronger than?" Asuma asked the blond girl.

Ino scanned the area as she looked at all of the teams. She pointed to Kakashi's team. "I'm better than Sakura and I'm pretty sure the rest of our team can take theirs even though Sasuke-kun is there." Ino assured her sensei. Shikamaru rose an eyebrow at the conversation.

"Ino everyone has changed since the Academy. We might be able to win if we plan it out but I believe they are stronger than us. Naruto is always one guy I would never want to go against because he is so unpredictable. Sasuke and Sakura were Shinobi and Kunoichi of the Year and they have probably improved since then. Asuma is right to assume that we are weaker than the others." Shikamaru reasoned. Ino didn't like that Shikamaru was saying that they were weak.

"Now we are all at fault for being where we are right now. I take responsibility for not pushing you guys harder while you guys are also responsible for not striving to get stronger. I admit that I wanted you guys to be my team because I knew that the Ino-Shika-Cho team would already have great teamwork. I figured your teamwork along with a few skills from me would able you guys to be Chunin soon. It was a lazy approach but it had a high possibility of succeeding. That is why I am going to critique you, just like the other senseis did." Asuma gave a small grin as he lit his cigarette.

"Shikamaru despite your lazy attitude on life, you are a genius with a 200 IQ. You assess every situation and find weakness to exploit while also avoiding danger. To me, you are already a guaranteed Chunin because you are a leader. You can complain to me all you want on how troublesome it will be but I know that you would do whatever it took to lead your team to safety. I can only worry that you will one day be stuck in a situation where you cannot outsmart your opponent." Asuma critiqued the lazy Nara. Shikamaru muttered troublesome while one again looking at the clouds. He already knew what Asuma was trying to say.

"Chouji, you are a strong individual that always strives to protect his teammate. Akimichi are known for their strength and you are up there with the best of them. I would even say you are the strongest, in physical strength, among the Genins. Your downfall is your pacifist nature, which is not a bad thing. Not everyone can be cold bloodied but you have to be able to do what it take to care for the people you care about." Asuma finished. Chouji swelled with pride but also took the advice to get stronger.

"Ino you are in a way like Sakura. You are not bad in any area but you don't excel in anything either. Your clan techniques are a hit or miss without the support of another individual. I suggest you do the same thing Kakashi recommended to Sakura as well." Asuma didn't know how to advise Ino without hurting her feelings. He hoped that he would not have a daughter in the future if she was as troublesome as Ino. Ino didn't appreciate the brute honesty but she decide to not voice her displeasure to her sensei again.

"To be honest, I actually planned to withdraw you from the exams. The Chunin Exams is a dangerous event and most senseis like Gai usually hold their teams back for a year. I believe you guys have potential to succeed so I will give you two weeks to improve your skills. If I feel that you aren't ready, I will withdraw your admission. Sure I will receive hell from my dad for withdrawing so late but I would rather have my dad punish me then to send you off to your deaths." Asuma spoke honestly.

Gai noticed that Asuma had pretty much finished so he addressed his own students. "Yosh my youthful students, you are to seek training from all the instructors. It is important to learn about different techniques even if you don't wish to learn them. Your opponent could be skilled in a certain area so it is significant that you know the weakness of such techniques. Your brilliant flames will shine brightly in the exams. Yosh my youthful spirit is ablaze, I shall run 100 laps around Konoha on my hands! If I don't finish it, I will climb the Hokage Monument 200 times with one hand tied behind my back!" Gai dashed off after sort of giving his students advice.

Everybody decide to split up for the day since Gai left. Lee ran off to find his sensei, proclaiming that he would be the most youthful ninja in the world. Neji, Team 8, Team 10 went home for the day for a variety of reasons. Sakura decided to seek out Kurenai for training in Genjutsu. Tenten asked Asuma for advice on a variety of weapons as a fellow Bukijutsu user. Sasuke asked Kakashi for training on the Sharingan. Zabuza left, hoping to find one of Konoha's Kenjutsu masters. Naruto wondered what the best course of action was.

He decided on introducing Haku to Tsunade. Naruto ran over to where Haku had remained after Zabuza had left. "Haku I want to introduce you to someone." Naruto shouted as he grabbed her hand to drag her to see the Sannin. She blushed from the contact but quickly dismissed it. The only problem was Tsunade and Shizune had already left. "Looks like they went home. We should go to their place." Naruto said as he walked normally with Haku to his side towards Tsunade's estate.

***With Lee and Gai***

The spandex duo were currently on their tenth lap around Konohagakure. Gai decided to take a brief stop on the Hokage Monument. He was actually patiently waiting for his student to catch up to him. Lee arrived to see Gai doing a series of punches and kicks. "Gai-sensei may I ask you for some advice?" Lee asked while regaining his breath.

"Of course my youthful student, what can I help you with?" Gai answered exuberantly. Gai noticed that Lee was hesitating in asking his question.

"Do you believe that I have what it takes to be a Chunin even with my 'condition'?" Lee whispered out, unlike his usually eccentric self. Gai frowned as he knew Lee would never be able to mold chakra because his tenketsu points were ruptured. Seeing how a simple yes would not convince the boy, Gai tried a different approach.

"Lee tell me this. Who do you believe is the strongest Genin?" Gai asked much to his disciple's confusion. Lee didn't need to think that long.

"The strongest Genin is Neji-kun with Sasuke coming behind him." Lee replied.

"Now tell me who do you believe has the best chance to beat Neji or Sasuke?" Gai questioned. This time Lee took a while longer before coming up with an answer.

"Naruto-kun because he has fought both Neji-kun and Sasuke before. He knows how they fight as well as their weaknesses." Lee replied. Gai smiled as he expected the answer from the beginning.

"Haven't you noticed that you also meet the same conditions as Naruto-kun since you have fought both Neji-kun and Sasuke before?" Gai laughed as he saw Lee's face grow into realization. "Lee, you and Naruto-kun are more alike than you think. Both of you were rejected by society because of circumstances beyond your control. The two of you are orphans that were once the Dead Last of your graduation classes. Despite those difficulties, both of you were able to succeed and become Genins. Your youthful passion to become a shinobi helped pave the way towards the path of hard work. Neji-kun and Sasuke maybe geniuses in talent but you and Naruto-kun are genius of hard work! Never forget that Lee!" Gai gave his disciple his signature 'nice guy pose.'

Lee eyes began to water as he gave his own nice guy smile. "Hai Gai-sensei! Thank you for the lesson that I will never forget. I will make you proud!" Lee shouted loudly with snot dripping from his nose.

"Lee you have already made me proud!" Gai yelled back as waterfalls fell from his eyes.

"Gai-sensei"

"Lee"

"Gai-sensei"

"Lee"

The two figures hugged each other making the spandex rub against each other. After a brief hug, the sensei and student continued their laps around Konohagakure with more energy than before.

***At the Inuzuka Compound***

The usually loud and boisterous Inuzuka Kiba was quiet for once in his life. Tsume and Hana looked at the youngest Inuzuka in confusion. Kiba had not uttered a single word since he had come home. Akamaru silently followed his master, not knowing what was wrong with him. Tsume decided to break the silence and ask Kiba what was wrong. "What is wrong with you, pup? Cat got your tongue." Tsume laughed as she waited for a retort. It never came like it usually did.

"Mom, besides clan techniques, what other jutsus do you know?" Kiba asked in a calm voice. Tsume wondered who took her son and replaced him with this quiet pup. Regardless, she decided to answer the question.

"I don't know much beside clan techniques. Other than the jutsus every shinobi knows, I can't say I know much else." Tsume answered as she continued to think if she knew any other techniques.

"What about you Hana?" Kiba asked as he was not pleased with his mother's answer.

"I know medical techniques since I am a veterinarian but other than that, I am the same as mom." Hana replied truthfully. Kiba frowned at her answer. "What is wrong with you Kiba? You never act like this, I am starting to wonder where the real Kiba is?" Hana was perplexed at her younger sibling's behavior. Kiba summarized what Kurenai had told his team earlier.

Tsume and Hana pondered the suggestion as Kiba finished his story. "Pup, you are thinking too much about it. Sure we are a clan but we don't have any strict rules and regulations like most. You are free to do whatever to get stronger as long it is not morally wrong. Kurenai never told you to stop learning our techniques, she only told you to expand your arsenal of skills. I think it is a good idea since a shinobi should use whatever advantage it has." Tsume liked Kurenai's proposal since it took a strong women to oppose how things were ran.

"Look Kiba, no one is telling you to go out there and start practicing Genjutsu. Just learn techniques that will compliment your skill set. From what you said, you have a lot of teachers to ask advice from. Plus mom and I are here to help you if you need us." Hana told her younger brother. Usually she would tease him for being such a worrywart but she decided to hold off on that since she knew Kiba was growing up as a shinobi.

Kiba smiled big as he stopped worrying. "You are right. I need to stop thinking about pointless things. I am an Inuzuka and I am a man of action." Kiba shouted with Akamaru's barking in the background. The ninken was glad that his master was back.

"You are a _boy _of action. You have a long way to go before you could be called a man." Hana teased as she left the room. Kiba ran after her as the Inuzuka Compound was filled with laughter.

***At the Aburame Compound***

Shino was having the same conversation with his childhood friend and father. "Your sensei makes a valid point. It is logical for you to pursue other areas of training as it can only benefit you. You have my permission to do whatever you see fit." Shibi was with a stoic voice.

Shino nodded slightly as he headed back to his room with Torune following. They were testing the battle capabilities of Shino's new species. All was normal inside the Aburame Compound as the only noise you could hear was the sound of buzzing.

***On the way towards the Hyuuga Compound***

Hinata and Neji were walking gracefully to their destination. Neji noticed that Hinata seemed tense. _'She must be thinking about what Kurenai-san told her.' _Neji thought as he watched his cousin. They were on better terms since Neji stopped talking about fate. Their relationship was restored to what it once was. "Hinata-sama, I believe you should do what you believe is right. Regardless of your decision, you must talk to Hiashi-sama to request training in the main family techniques." Neji snapped Hinata out of her daze. They arrived at the main house.

Neji escorted Hinata to Hiashi's room, located in the center of the main house. They were given permission to enter the room. Both bowed in respect as they were in front of the Hyuuga's clan leader. Neji was about to leave when he was stopped. "Neji stay for a moment, I wish to speak to you as well." Hiashi ordered. Neji did as told and sat back down.

"I have been informed that the Chunin Exams is approaching as well as the fact that you are both participating. I do not want failure as you will be representing the Hyuuga Clan. You are to win the event and prove why the Hyuuga Clan is feared throughout the Elemental Nations." Hiashi said in a commanding voice. Hinata shook in fear of her father. He had changed since her mother had died and had become quite cold hearted.

"F-Father I wish to speak to y-you about a proposal that my sensei had told me." Hinata stuttered out those few words.

"Speak clearly child!" Hiashi roared at his eldest. Hinata felt oppressed under her father's gaze. She told him Kurenai's proposal, trying her best not to stutter. Hiashi's face turned to a frown. "That woman should not be interfering with clan affairs. I was right to kick her from her position as your escort. She simply does not respect our traditions or our clan. I will inform Hokage-sama that you would like to be transferred to another team." Hiashi said coldly.

Hinata stared at her father with pure shock. She gritted her teeth in anger as she wished to stay on Team 8. The Hyuuga Princess could only hope for a miracle that something would change her father's mind. That miracle came in the form of Neji. "Hiashi-sama, may I please have a word?" Neji asked politely. He was acknowledged by Hiashi to speak. "I believe that the training would benefit Hinata-sama as I have received the same proposal from my sensei. Gai-sensei has told us that we should study different techniques to learn their weaknesses." Neji said respectfully.

Hiashi narrowed his white eyes at his nephew. He had never thought Neji would speak up for his daughter. That hadn't happened since Hizashi's death, which had made Neji into a cold person. Seeing his nephew's change of heart, sparked something within Hiashi. "Very well, you are allowed to learn about other jutsus and you are allowed to stay on Team 8. You may leave." Hiashi dismissed the two.

He was able to catch a smile form on his eldest as the two walked out of the room. As they left, Hiashi began contemplating if what he was doing was right. Letting a sigh that was unbecoming of a clan head, Hiashi could only wish his wife and brother were here.

***At the Nara Compound***

Ino-Shika-Cho was all at the Nara's for the weekly gathering. Shikamaru was playing shogi with his father but his thoughts weren't entirely on the game. Chouji and Ino was sitting nearby as they chatted. Shikaku noticed that his son's wasn't paying attention to the game like usual. "What is on your mind son? I just took your general like it was child's play." Shikaku was intrigued and worried at what his son was thinking about.

"Dad be honest with me. Would my team survive the Chunin Exams?" Shikamaru asked. Choza and Inoichi came over when they heard the topic of the conversation. Shikaku looked at his son dead in the eye.

"No." A simple answer came from Shikaku. Shikamaru could only frown. "I see that you already knew that. At your current abilities, one of you would die in one of the stages. If you get lucky, you might be able to pass without casualty. On the other hand, all of you could die if you are unlucky." Shikaku explained his answer. Ino and Chouji were terrified on the prospect of death. They didn't like Shikaku's grim answer.

"Come on Shikaku, I think they can pass." Inoichi hoped to raise the young ones' hopes.

"Inoichi, Shikaku is right. They are simply not prepared for this exam. Maybe a year from now but not currently. We will have to speak with Hokage-sama about withdrawing their admissions." Choza trusted Shikaku's judgment and he believed Inoichi did as well. Inoichi relented as he didn't want his princess to be in danger even if her feelings would be hurt.

"Two weeks." Shikamaru voice grabbed the older men's attention. "Asuma-sensei gave us two weeks to prove that we are ready for the exams. I never thought I would say this. Dad I want you to train me for the next two weeks." Shikamaru's tone indicated that he was serious about training. "I want, no I need, to get strong enough to protect my team." His voice was full of conviction. Shikaku was impressed with his son's attitude and no doubt Yoshino will be as well when she hears about this.

Chouji got up from his seated position. "Don't worry Shika, you won't do this alone. Dad I also want you to train me for the exams. I want the strength to be able to protect my teammates from danger. That is my job and I need to get stronger to do that." Chouji's eyes burned with a fiery spirit. Choza gladly agreed as his son was slowly becoming a real Akimichi.

Inoichi looked to his daughter as he waited for her to ask for training as well. Ino noticed her dad staring and knew he was going to be disappointed with her answer. "Sorry dad but Asuma-sensei already gave me a training schedule. I won't be practicing our clan techniques until I get physically stronger." Ino apologized to her father. Inoichi's spirits came crashing down as he began sulking in a corner. The mothers, who were coming home from shopping, could only wonder what everyone was laughing about.

***With Naruto and Haku***

Naruto and Haku were making their way towards the Senju Compound. Haku was walking to the side of Naruto when suddenly the blonde held an arm out in front of her. "Come on guys. I thought we talked about this. Rocks aren't square shaped, they are more jagged like." Naruto complained out loud. Up ahead was a square rock in the middle of the road. The rock poof out smoke and out came three small figures.

"I told you Konohamaru. Boss told us that rocks aren't squares." A boy with glasses spoke to Konohamaru.

"Yeah you are right Udon, I should listen to my strategist more often." The Sandaime's grandson replied.

"Hey Boss, how are you today?" A cutesy voice came from below Naruto. Haku glanced to see a girl with orange hair. The girl's hair was tied in a way that it seemed to disobey the laws of gravity.

"Hey Moegi, I am about to take my friend Haku to see Baa-chan." The blonde replied. The rest of Konohamaru squad came up to the two shinobis.

"Boss is she your 'this'?" Konohamaru asked while wiggling his pinky finger. The two teens looked at each other and blushed bright red. They were remembering how close they were the night in Wave.

"N-No Haku is m-my friend. We aren't l-like that." Naruto said as he did his best Hinata impression. The jinchūriki blushed even brighter as the kids began to laugh.

"Stop that Konohamaru-kun you are embarrassing them." Moegi said as she punched Konohamaru in the noggin. Udon ignored his friends as they started bickering.

"Boss, can we come with you to see Tsunade-sama?" Udon asked innocently. Naruto agreed and the group headed off. Konohamaru ran ahead of the pack, proclaiming that he was the leader. When the boy turned back around, he ran straight into something or someone for that matter.

"Hanabi-sama are you okay?" Ko voice asked in panic. He was escorting the young princess on her way back from the park when a little boy ran into her. "You! Apologize for running into Hanabi-sama." Ko said angrily, not noticing who he was speaking to.

Naruto and company came straight away when they heard yelling. Naruto saw that Konohamaru had his face on the ground while a little girl that looked like Hinata was on her butt. "Sorry about that, I should have warned him to be more careful." Naruto apologized to Ko as he picked up Konohamaru. "Come on you apologize too." Naruto told the scarf wearing boy.

Konohamaru did as told. "I am sorry for running into you. I should have been paying more attention to my surroundings. I guess I still have a long way until I become a shinobi." The boy chuckled lightly while rubbing the back of his head.

"You will never become a shinobi. You are a talentless peasant." Hanabi berated as she dusted herself off. Konohamaru was insulted and he was going to give the girl a piece of his mind.

"Are you saying you are better than me, you pupil less girl?" Konohamaru insulted the Hyuuga.

"I have no pupils because I am a Hyuuga. I am a part of a clan unlike you clan less civilian. My name is Hyuuga Hanabi the future Hyuuga clan head." Hanabi rebuked back.

"I am a part of clan you idiot. My name is Sarutobi Konohamaru and my grandfather is the Hokage." The boy yelled out. Both Ko and Hanabi were shocked at the boy's identity.

"I guess that shows every family has a rotten apple." Hanabi smirked as she saw steam rise from Konohamaru's head. Naruto quickly picked up his underling to prevent any further incidents.

"Boss let me go. She insulted my pride and if I don't get her back then I am not Sarutobi Konohamaru." Konohamaru shouted as he struggled to free himself from the blonde's grasp.

"Calm down Konohamaru. A shinobi is supposed to control his emotions remember." Naruto advised the young Sarutobi. Konohamaru instantly stopped trying to wiggle himself free and began to calm down. "You, as well, shouldn't instigate a fight when someone already apologized." Naruto told Hanabi. Hanabi didn't like that she was getting scolded by some stranger so she began walking away. "Tell Neji and Hinata I said hi, okay little firecracker." Naruto yelled out as he let Konohamaru down.

Hanabi blushed at the nickname and she ran back to Naruto. "Don't call me that, my name is Hanabi." She shouted in protest as she pointed to the blond. Haku and Naruto chuckled at the scene. Naruto leaned down to Hanabi's height.

"Well your name means firework but you are still little, so you are little firecracker." Naruto said as he tussled her hair. Hanabi tried to back off but she felt the hand soothing. No one except Hinata ever touched her hair. Hanabi began to calm down when Ko's voice rang out.

"Stopping touching Hanabi-sama's hair with your filthy hands demon." Ko barked to the jinchūriki. Much to Hanabi's displease, Naruto did as told. He gave his best fake smile to Ko.

"I'm pretty sure I washed my hands early." Naruto joked as he sniffed his hands.

"Tha-." Ko was interrupted by a female voice.

"What are you people doing in front of my house?" Tsunade asked as she stepped out of the house. She caught a glimpse of her favorite blond. "Naru-chan you came to visit me." Tsunade said as she gave him a death hug. Luckily Shizune came out of the house to save Naruto's life.

"I am sorry for disturbing you Tsunade-sama, we will be taking our leave." Ko said as he began dragging Hanabi away. Hanabi looked back at the crowd.

"See you later, little firecracker." Naruto gave a smile and waved as he regained his breath. Hanabi gave a small wave before she turned forward. Soon the Hyuugas were out of sight. "Baa-chan I thought we talked about your hugs. I'm trying to stay alive as long as possible." Naruto reminded his godmother.

"It is just rare that you come over to visit." Tsunade said as she got him in a head lock. "What are you here anyway?" Tsunade asked as she ignored the shouts of the little ones saying the monster was killing the boss. The Senju released her hold on the Uzumaki.

"I want to introduce you to someone, this is Haku." Naruto said as he showed Haku to Tsunade. Tsunade studied the ice user from head to toe. Haku felt naked as Tsunade examined her figure.

"Naru-chan I am so proud of you." Tsunade said much to everyone's, except Shizune, confusion. "Although you are a little young to be bringing a girl home to show me, ninjas never lived long anyway." Tsunade smirked. The teens' faces lit up like fireworks as heat rose up to their faces.

"I was introducing Haku as my friend. She just arrived here from Wave and she knows some remedies. That is why I am introducing you to her." Naruto said hastily. Tsunade and Shizune sighed in disappointment. Haku inwardly was feeling disappointment at the blonde's words.

'_He always denies it so quickly. Am I that unattractive to him? Wait what am I thinking like that, we are only friends.'_ Haku tried to shake her head free of the thoughts. Unknown to her, two females were watching her with smirks on their faces. They began conjuring up a plan. "Hello my name is Yuki Haku and I am an aspiring medic-nin. I have always wanted to meet Tsunade of the Sannin." Haku introduced herself to everyone.

Tsunade finally thought of the perfect plan. "Hello Haku, I would like to test you to see if you have what it takes to learn from me. For that we are going to the water hole." Tsunade exclaimed which gained cheers from the kids. "Alright kids go get your swimsuits and meet back here in five minutes." She ordered and the kids dashed home. Shizune went back inside to get swimsuits for her and her mentor as well. Tsunade followed after her to discuss the plan. Haku and Naruto didn't understand what was going on.

Haku looked to Naruto for clarification but he only shrugged and said to go with the flow. In five minutes, the Konohamaru squad returned already in their swimsuits. "Let's go!" Tsunade marched on as she and Shizune were followed by everyone else. Tsunade and Shizune were wearing white jackets over their swimsuits. Luckily the water hole wasn't far or otherwise every male in the area would be ogling the two medics. As soon as kids saw water, they immediately ran off and jumped in the cool water.

As the kids played in the water, Shizune laid two blankets down on the ground. She took out a bottle of suntan lotion and began rubbing it on her body. "Boss, Haku-san come down in the water and play. The water feels really good." Konohamaru yelled as he was splashed with water. Naruto wasn't one to refuse so he began undressing.

"Sorry Naruto but you won't be playing just yet. I want to test you as well." Tsunade essentially killed the blonde's joy. Haku chuckled lightly at the jinchūriki's disappointment. Tsunade ordered the kids to come out and put some sunscreen on. They did as told while Haku and Naruto followed Tsunade across the water. The Senju stopped in front of a waterfall. "I want you to climb this waterfall up and down while holding balancing a kunai with chakra. This is an advanced chakra control exercise that I made up." Tsunade said.

Naruto stared at the 100 feet waterfall and felt miniature in front of the towering water column. He took out a pair of kunai and handed one to Haku. Naruto took one step on the gushing water and felt how difficult it was to maintain a constant flow of chakra. Feeling agitated, Naruto took a few steps back to calm down. He started by balancing the kunai is his palm. With the kunai afloat, Naruto ran up the waterfall. He barely made it five feet before his control slipped. Naruto came plummeting down and caused a huge splash when he landed in the water.

Naruto could hear his godmother having fits of laughter. He looked around for Haku but couldn't find her. He looked up and found her standing on the waterfall like it was the ground while also balancing the kunai. Tsunade followed Naruto's gaze and spotted Haku. She was filled with mix emotions. Ecstatic that someone so young had such excellent chakra control while also sad that her plan to make Haku and Naruto drenched in water failed. Haku walked back down the waterfall.

"Haku I am beyond impressed that you have that level of chakra control. Have you done this exercise before?" Tsunade asked.

"In my travels, I had to learn how to climb waterfalls with chakra. I have never actually tried it before with kunai balancing. Zabuza-sama said I was born with great chakra control so I trained it until I was able to one handed seals." Haku answered. The Senju was now even more surprised as there was only a few people in the world who can do one handed seals. One handed seals were very unstable so one must have an amazing control on their chakra.

"Becoming a medic-nin seems to be a great path for you to follow. I would gladly take you as an apprentice, if you would like that of course." Tsunade offered the Yuki an apprenticeship as Tsunade might never find one as talented as the one before her. Naruto had lifted himself out of the water when he heard the news. Haku was shocked to be offered such a position from the best medic in all of the elemental nations.

"Hai, I would gladly accept the position Tsunade-sama." Haku bowed as she smiled proudly. Naruto tackled Haku in happiness, making them fall in the water. Tsunade smirked that her plan would succeed thanks to her godson's brashness.

"Come on let's get you out of those clothes." Tsunade said as she began to walk back. Naruto helped a drenched Haku out of water. Her clothes were soaked in water thanks to the blond. Naruto apologized as the duo ran to dry land. Naruto took off his shirt and pants so it could air dry. He began playing in the water with the kids while Haku changed in the woods. Haku came out a few seconds later with a towel wrapped around her body.

"Tsunade-sama, thank you for the swimsuit." Haku thanked her new mentor for having an extra swimsuit. Tsunade initiated the last part of her plan.

"Naru-chan look here." Tsunade yelled out which made Naruto look in that direction. In that instant, Tsunade got behind Haku and pulled off the towel. Haku was wearing a blue two piece that highlighted her figure. Naruto was immobilized by the sight as he never really imagined what Haku would look like underneath her clothes. Haku let out a girly shriek as she crouched down to cover herself. Shizune whipped out a camera from her bag and took a picture of a stunned Naruto.

"I got the picture Tsunade-sama." Shizune yelled out as she waved the camera. Tsunade squealed in excitement as she went over to look at the picture. Haku looked up to see Naruto still staring at her even though Udon was splashing water at him. The two blushed when they made eye contact with each other.

"Um you look good, I mean great Haku." Naruto said bashfully. He went back to playing with the kids to avoid further embarrassment. Haku turned a greater shade of red at the compliment. Her chest was filled with a warm feeling as she watched Naruto play with the kids. Getting rid of her blush, she went into the water to play with the kids as well.

***Meanwhile with Asuma and Tenten***

The two Bukijutsu users were currently at Dangoya while conversing about different weapons. "So you use scrolls that have your weapons sealed to attack. That is very interesting, you must have some level of understanding in Fuinjutsu to do that." Asuma said as he was intrigued on how Tenten used weapons.

"Naruto taught me some Fuinjutsu and we are currently trying to research on how to fire the weapons at different intervals." Tenten replied as she took a piece of dango from the skewer.

"That would be very convenient since your opponent would be caught off guard by the surprise attack. Maybe you can find a way for the seals to apply elemental nature to your weapons. That would give you an even greater advantage in battle." Asuma suggested. Tenten thought that was an interesting idea.

"I need to go find Naruto to see if he can do that for me." Tenten said as she laid her money down on the table.

"I believe he was with Tsunade-sama when we left the training grounds." Asuma told the weapon user as she waved goodbye. Tenten headed over to the Senju Compound to find it empty. She asked an old lady if she had seen Tsunade anywhere. The old lady directed her towards the water hole. The bun haired girl headed to the water hole and she stopped when she heard laughter. The scene she saw was Naruto playing with and the girl that was with Zabuza at the training grounds. The Konohamaru Squad was resting as Shizune were giving them juice. Tsunade was tanning in the sun.

Tenten noticed that the girl and Naruto were having a good time playing in the water together. She felt an unknown tinge in her chest that she never felt before. Her heart was tugging painfully as she continued to watch. She wanted to move and ask Naruto about Asuma's suggestion but her feet refused to move forward. Tenten slowly backed away from the scene before running back into town. She didn't understand what was happening but she needed to get away.

She hopped across the roofs to get home as quickly as possible. She was finding it difficult to breathe even though she wasn't tired. She landed in front of Higarashi's and ran upstairs, ignoring her parents' shouts. She closed the door to her room as soon as she got in. She leaned on the door and slowly slid her body down to the floor. She held her hand on her heart as it continued to beat rapidly as pain raced through her body. Tenten didn't understand what this feeling was but she didn't like it.

* * *

><p>[1] Shibuki's father was never named so I based his name off of Shibuki. Shibuki means 'splash' so I chose 'rapids', which is Hayase in Japanese, for his father's name.<p>

**Reviews:**

**Skeek622 – **I don't have any plans for the twins at the moment but your idea sounds interesting. I would like to use it with your permission. Samui and Fu will make their appearance in the next chapter. Naruto's relationship with Tenten is on its turning point.

**APeaceOfPie4Everybody011 – **Thanks for the support for this story and its sequel.

**emilbootanimefreak –**Shadow clones get all the spotlight with all its uses so I wanted the elemental bunshins to have their uses without being overpowering.

**uzuuchi007 – **Thanks for reading!

**loganhunter2 –** Everything you said is true so it would have been better to split the story in two parts. I hope I can one day receive a 10 from you as that would mean I wrote an amazing chapter or scene.

**bloodlinenaruto – **The pairing is Naruto x Haku x Tenten x Fu x Samui.

**buterflypus – **Thank you for reading and reviewing.

**NinjaFang1331 – **Thank you for the constant support!

**BelleArcher – **I swore Haku and Zabuza's death was unjustified. They could have been such awesome characters but freaking Gato was a sleaze bag. I thought people would say that I was bashing Sasuke and Sakura so I am glad people see that I am trying to develop them.

**Ryuujin96 –** I have several different ways Naruto will use the Bunshins but none of the ways are final yet. Glad you enjoyed the fight, I don't know to write fight scenes well yet. Zabuza would be really scared out of his mind when he meets Mei again.

**gwb620 – **Sorry as much as I am a fan of NaruHina, there is just too much stories with them as a couple. Thanks for enjoying the story though.

**Apedreitor – **Yeah I understand that the opponents that come later wouldn't go down from a simple kunai but I believe a bandit would. I like that Fuinjutsu idea but I think he would have to learn more about seals from Jiraiya before I could use your idea.

**Meow382 – **First of I would like to say wow on how much you have written. I would like to thank you for spending so much time to write all that. The lighting clone on Naruto Wiki is a lightning shadow clone. My lightning clone is just a regular elemental bunshin so it is C-Rank. I already planned out that Naruto was going to learn **Kirigakure no Jutsu **and **Shunshin no Jutsu** but I needed to introduce Zabuza and Haku first. I only made some original E-Rank jutsu so Naruto can see how elemental training changes his jutsu. Where in the world did the holy church of the log come from!? It that your idea? It is quite…interesting to say the least. Your Jutsu guide is very informative and I will definitely use it. I would also like to use the ideas that you suggested as well.

**NarutoFan11 – **This story is based loosely on the Canon storyline. I wanted Naruto to be a little older when he met Mikoto. I agree that I should use more dialog but it is difficult for me. Again it is based loosely on the Canon storyline.

**imgonnadie – **Thank you for reviewing and reading!

**noman09 – **Thank you for answering my question. I didn't want my story taken down because of that. If you would like, I could put a word counter on how long the story is without the review response and author note.

**fusion721 – **Anko's backstory is so sad and I had hoped that she would have been in the harem. She got barely got beat out by Samui who made an amazing comeback. She would still be involved in the story along with the rest of the girls that lost in the polls.

**chibi monsta – **I love the mushy parts as much as the next guy. I hope I did it justice.

**Akritedes – **That is what I am hoping, which will be the one of the reasons Naruto leaves to train.

**narmulti – **Thanks for the support!

**sparrowhawk13 – **I wanted to expand on several characters since there is a lot in the Narutoverse. You will find out why Zabuza is afraid of Mei pretty soon. Everybody will change for the better, well not everybody but most. Kakashi is on the crossroads on how to redeem himself. It will take time for him to become a better role model for Naruto.

**Vibrolux61 – **I wanted it a more emotional impact for Naruto so that is why I made him see Mikoto's grave.


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